Smart force sensors and their applications

Two kinds ofsmart force sensors for the force distribution measurements are presented in this paper. The force distribution testing technique is widely used in intelligent control of robot and biomechanics. Usually a sensor matrix that includes hundreds to thousands micro sensor elements is adopted and that will provides the precise force distribution information for the different requirements. Two kinds of sensor material the piezoelectric ceramic, PVDF and piezo-resistance sensor conducting rubber are introduced in this paper. The requirements ofthe smart structure and the signal processing technique are discussed. Three smart force sensor systems are developed for the robot and biomechanics applications. Some image processing techniques are developed for the signal analysis and data processing.