A Novel Tactile Sensing Array with Elastic Steel Frame Structure for Prosthetic Hand

A novel tactile sensing array based on elastic steel frame structure for prosthetic hand is proposed. The sensing units are mounted on the curving surface of a 3D printed sensor holder with five along the axial direction and four in the circumferential direction. Each sensing unit consists of a steel frame, a silicon gauge and flexible printed circuit board FPCB. Based on the piezoresistive effect, the sensing unit can measure the normal force and the shear force along the longitudinal direction. The finite element analysis is conducted to evaluate the mechanical performance of the sensing unit. Meanwhile, the solution of detecting the resultant force is proposed.