Connection of 48 sensors on the same serial bus line for human-inspired event-driven tactile sensation covering wide spatial range over 2 meters at millimeter resolution

Abstract

This work is a part of the project which develops a bus-network tactile sensing system for covering a wide area of robots at high spatial resolution. 48 sensor nodes with a capacitive 1-axis force sensor for each were installed on the same bus line with a length of 2.4 m, and every sensor was operated asynchronously in event-driven mode. Data packet from each sensor was received correctly and almost evenly, when 8 sensors were stimulated at the same time. Because the sensor node used in this study is compatible with an integrated tactile sensor with 2.7 mm square footprint, this system is adapted to wide coverage and high spatial resolution of sensors by just changing the design of the bus.