Design and Characterization of a Three-Axis Hall Effect-Based Soft Skin Sensor

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Sensor Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Robotic applications require advanced tactile sensing for safe and effective interaction.
• Existing sensors often lack the necessary softness, miniaturization, or multi-axis force detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a cost-effective and easy-to-produce 3-axis Hall effect-based skin sensor for robotics.
• To develop a sensor with a soft exterior for safe human-robot interaction.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance, including temperature drift, hysteresis, and crosstalk.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an off-the-shelf Hall effect chip for a compact, digital output sensor.
• Integrating a soft silicone exterior (approximately 8 mm thick) for safe interaction.
• Conducting tests to assess temperature drift, hysteresis, and crosstalk between axes.
• Calibrating the sensor to measure forces in normal and tangential directions.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrates the ability to detect minimal forces as low as 1 gf.
• Calibration results show accurate force measurements up to 1450 gf in normal and tangential directions.
• Temperature compensation was successfully implemented using an integrated temperature sensor.
• Evaluation confirmed the sensor's capability to measure distinct components of the force vector.

Conclusions:

• A practical and accessible 3-axis Hall effect skin sensor suitable for robotic applications has been developed.
• The sensor's soft nature and multi-axis force measurement capabilities contribute to safer and more versatile robotic systems.
• The implemented temperature compensation enhances the sensor's reliability across different environmental conditions.