Improving the use of force sensing resistors arrays for the measure of hand grasp

Abstract

We present a study on arrays of force sensing resistors (FSR) which can be used in rehabilitation or robotics for the measurement of normal forces exerted respectively by the hand during grasp or by a robot pinch. These arrays are scanned by means of an electronic circuitry which attempts at isolating each element from the others so that crosstalk between them is eliminated. However, this isolation is not effective, due to many factors, mainly the inavoidable presence of parasitic elements in the electronic components. Our study puts in evidence the effect of these parasitic elements on the performance of the circuits, and allows some circuital modifications to be introduced. The results, obtained both by simulations and experimental measurements, show the correctness of the analysis and the effectiveness of these improvements.