Characterization of a silicon-based shear-force sensor on human subjects

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate measurement of forces at the skin-object interface is crucial for understanding human-object interaction.
• Existing sensors may lack the ability to simultaneously measure both compressive and shear forces.
• Piezoresistive sensors offer a potential solution for tactile force sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a silicon-based sensor for measuring both compressive and shear forces at the skin-object interface.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance, including accuracy and repeatability, through calibration and tracking experiments.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a silicon sensor using integrated circuit and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies.
• Design based on the piezoresistive effect, utilizing a mesa structure for asymmetric diaphragm deformation.
• Calibration on human subjects and evaluation through a tracking experiment with controlled force levels.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor successfully measured both compressive and shear forces.
• Calibration demonstrated performance over a range of 5-40 N shear and 0-30 N compressive forces.
• The sensor exhibited good repeatability (SD ~1.7 N) with an average error of 12.1%.

Conclusions:

• The silicon-based piezoresistive sensor is capable of resolving both compressive and shear forces at the skin-object interface.
• The sensor demonstrates promising accuracy and repeatability for tactile force measurement applications.
• This technology has potential applications in robotics, prosthetics, and human-computer interaction.