Wrap-Around String-Like ToF and Self-Capacitance Combined Sensor for Robots

Collaborative robots are becoming popular because they can operate without safety fences and can work in close proximity to humans. Proximity and tactile sensors on the robot's surface are important safety measures for existing robots. In this paper, we propose a string-like ToF and self-capacitance combined sensor that can be easily wrapped around various types of existing robots. The sensor can be freely connected to other sensors, and the length of the connected sensors attached can be adjusted depending on the shape of the robot. Prototype sensors were fabricated, and four connected sensors were wrapped around the robotic arm. Sensors on the robot's surface can detect objects within the proximity range and determine contact. In addition, a robotic arm with sensors can be controlled in real-time using measured data from the sensors. It was confirmed that the proposed sensor can be used for proximity and tactile sensing on existing robots. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.