Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
Scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have created a prototype of a tactile sensor for industrial robots. The development will help robots better sense objects during gripping and other manipulations. Data from the “artificial skin” sensors will allow industrial robots to sense the structure of objects and control the force of compression. The work was carried out with the support of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program.
Every year, the number of industrial robots is steadily growing. Manipulators assemble cars and weld parts, sort goods in warehouses of large marketplaces, mix compounds in chemical laboratories, and even help surgeons perform complex robot-assisted operations. Engineers are constantly improving the robot’s skills. One of the areas of such improvements is the creation of an analogue of human systems that will minimize the operator’s participation in the robot’s work.
Polytechnic University scientists have developed a prototype tactile sensor for industrial robots. Essentially, it is an “artificial skin” that allows the machine to sense the structure of objects and the force of its impact on them, making them more versatile and accurate than their counterparts.
The sensor consists of an elastic material that can be deformed and sensitive elements embedded in it. During the project, sensitive elements and the skin material itself were selected, the parameters of the elements were selected to obtain a stable sensor response, and a system was developed that analyzes the data received from the sensor, which can be used to form the robot’s movement, – noted Alexander Markvart, PhD in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Applied Physics and Space Technologies at SPbPU.
The development of such sensors is currently being carried out all over the world. The peculiarity of the approach proposed at the Polytechnic University is the use of fiber-optic sensitive sensors that are not susceptible to electromagnetic interference, radiation exposure, and have increased survivability in aggressive external conditions. According to the project manager, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Applied Physics and Space Technologies of SPbPU Nikolay Ushakov, the use of fiber-optic sensors is of particular interest in such areas as medicine, the oil and gas sector, and the nuclear industry. Such sensors also simplify the manufacturing technology of the final product and reduce the cost.
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