Elastic structure for a multi-axis forcetorque sensor

Abstract

The multi-axis force–torque sensor is a key element of many accurate force and motion control systems, including intelligent robotic systems. This paper presents a novel elastic structure for multi-axis force–torque sensors that is easily manufacturable at low cost and has many detection points with high surface strains. By using the “design of experiment” method in the ANSYS software, we demonstrate that the designed elastic structure with four identical T-shapes has high surface strains and can provide various strain gauge configurations. The strain sensitivities of the elastic structure at predetermined points can be maximized manually by varying the thickness of the vertical and horizontal beams of the T-shaped components. The validity of the proposed elastic structure is demonstrated through the development of a low-cost six-axis force–torque sensor. Experimental results for the developed force–torque sensor with the proposed elastic structure demonstrate that the proposed structure is comparable to an expensive state-of-the-art commercial force–torque sensor.