Sensitivity Enhancement of MEMS Tactile Sensor by Redesign of Microcantilever and Strain Gauge

In our previous work, MEMS tactile sensor using microcantilevers embedded in the elastomer has been developed. The gripping control of a soft object and the data acquisition which reflected the texture of the object surface have been carried out using this sensor. However, improvement of its sensitivity for more precise control or texture information is an important issue. In this work, cantilever size and strain-gauge arrangement in the sensor are newly designed for sensitivity improvement. As a result of fabrication based on the new design, it is demonstrated that a drastic sensitivity improvement is achieved. Furthermore, it is found that the sensitivity depends on the size of the cantilever.