Force Feedback Sensors for Robot Adaptive Control

Abstract : The objective of this paper is to describe the Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC) Program for developing high performance, simple, rugged, cost effective magnetoelastic force feedback sensors for robots and machine tools. Recent advances in magnetoelastic material technology have paved the way for corresponding improvements in the state of the art in force feedback sensors for robots and machine tools. Also, NSWC has designed magnetic circuits which are easily adapted to force feedback sensors. In this paper, magnetoelastic materials are described along with the properties that make them potentially such outstanding force feedback sensors. Following this, the NSWC Program is detailed including advances in materials research, in simple, low cost electronic and magnetic circuits, and designs for force feedback sensor modules. The results are in the public domain. (Author)