OPTICAL TOUCH SENSOR AND METHOD OF REPRODUCING FORCE VECTOR DISTRIBUTION USING THIS SENSOR Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G01L5/16 G01L1/14 G01L1/24 

FIELD: physics; measurement.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to a device and method of determining a force vector and can be used in a touch sensor of a robot arm. The optical touch sensor has a sensitive part and photographic unit. The sensitive part comprises a transparent flexible case and several groups of markers, placed inside the flexible case. Each group of markers contains several coloured markers and the markers, which make up different groups, have a different colour in each group. The flexible case has an arbitrary curved surface. Behaviour of the coloured markers when an object touches the curved surface of the flexible case is interpreted as information about the markers in form of an image using the photographic unit. The sensor also has a device for reproducing force vector distribution, meant for reproducing the force applied to the surface, based on information on the behaviour of markers, which is obtained based on the given information on markers in form of an image.

EFFECT: design of an optical touch sensor with an arbitrary curved surface, which allows for measuring three-dimensional distribution of a force vector, which can be used as a touch sensor for a manipulator (robot arm).

26 cl, 13 dwg