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S.N.A.K.E.: A Dynamically Reconfigurable Artificial Sensate Skin ...

S.N.A.K.E.: A Dynamically Reconfigurable Artificial Sensate Skin ...

S.N.A.K.E.: A Dynamically Reconfigurable Artificial Sensate Skin ...

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(a) Prototype boards used to calibrate sensors (b) A node covered with QTC material.<br />

Each node has four channels of<br />

pressure sensing as shown<br />

Figure 3-17: QTC pressure sensors<br />

nothing more than a non-inverting amplifier biased at mid-range by the voltage divider<br />

created by the sensor selected by the multiplexer and a resistor. Whenever the pressure<br />

sensor is not pressed, it has a resistance in the order of mega ohms. As pressure is applied to<br />

the sensor however, the resistance decreases, and the voltage divider voltage changes, which<br />

causes the output voltage to swing. One advantage of this circuit is that the sensitivity<br />

range of the pressure sensor can be adjusted by changing just one resistor, in this case the<br />

pull-down resistor used in the voltage divider.<br />

Finally, there are some mechanical design aspects to consider. Gluing the QTC films onto<br />

the substrate only by the edges causes the material to warp and bubble when the substrate<br />

is bent. There are work-arounds to avoid this: the first one would be to selectively apply<br />

an adhesive around the metal electrodes so that only the parts with no metal stick to the<br />

coated side of the sensitive material. A second option would be to encase the entire skin into<br />

a silicone rubber; this has the added advantage of evenly distributing the pressure among<br />

the four corners of the node, so gradients are better observed.<br />

68

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