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Elastic structure for a multi-axis forcetorque sensor

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Abstract

The multi-axis force–torque sensor is a key element of many accurate force and motion control systems, including intelligent robotic systems. This paper presents a novel elastic structure for multi-axis force–torque sensors that is easily manufacturable at low cost and has many detection points with high surface strains. By using the “design of experiment” method in the ANSYS software, we demonstrate that the designed elastic structure with four identical T-shapes has high surface strains and can provide various strain gauge configurations. The strain sensitivities of the elastic structure at predetermined points can be maximized manually by varying the thickness of the vertical and horizontal beams of the T-shaped components. The validity of the proposed elastic structure is demonstrated through the development of a low-cost six-axis force–torque sensor. Experimental results for the developed force–torque sensor with the proposed elastic structure demonstrate that the proposed structure is comparable to an expensive state-of-the-art commercial force–torque sensor.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant No. 2017R1D1A1B04029966).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Transportation Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Manh-Tuan Ha

  2. School of Mechanical Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea

    Chul-Goo Kang

Authors
  1. Manh-Tuan Ha
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  2. Chul-Goo Kang
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Correspondence to Chul-Goo Kang.

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Recommended by Editor No-cheol Park

Manh-Tuan Ha received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam in 2005 and 2008, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea in 2019. He is currently a lecturer in School of Transportation Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. His research interests include intelligent control, robotics, and railway braking.

Chul-Goo Kang is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Design and Production Engineering from Seoul National University in 1981 and 1985, respectively. In 1989, he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, USA. Since 1990, he has been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Konkuk University and is currently the Director of the Intelligent Control and Robotics Lab, and the Railway Vehicle Lab. He served as the Organizing Chair of the International Conference on Control, Automation, and Systems in 2012 and as the President of the Korea Robotics Society in 2015. He is currently a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. His research interests include motion control, force sensing and control, robot manipulation, and railway vehicles.

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Ha, MT., Kang, CG. Elastic structure for a multi-axis forcetorque sensor. J Mech Sci Technol 34, 23–31 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-1203-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-1203-3

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