National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

The University of Tokyo

Nippon Mektron Limited

Akihiko Nagakubo

Yasuo Kuniyoshi

Yoshiyuki Ohmura

Masayuki Noguchi

Kazuyuki Ozaki

Taisuke Kimura

Katsuyoshi Iizuka

Hassan Alirezaei Abyaneh

Takashi Sagisaka

Naoko Seta

Takashige Ohsawa

Masatoshi Nakajima

A pressure sensor comprising: a base film on which a conductor pattern having one or more electrodes is formed; a cover film laminated on the base film so as to cover the electrodes of the conductor pattern; and a spacer disposed between the cover film and the base film so as to form a hollow portion having a predetermined gap between the electrode and the cover film; wherein a portion corresponding to the hollow portion of the cover film is constructed such that it has a pressure sensing part which is able to deform in a direction to move toward and away from the electrode in accordance with pressure, and of which contact resistance changes in accordance with a contact pressure thereof with the electrode, so that the pressure sensing part detects the pressure by a change of the contact resistance.

Pressure sensor, method for manufacture thereof, and pressure detection module

It is an object of the present invention to provide a measurement system that measures physical quantity distribution over the entire region using a sensor for physical quantity distribution (PQD sensor) that realizes high stretchability, flexibility, etc., in at least a partial region, in order to measure the physical quantity distribution that is regionally distributed in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner, as well as a method for measuring physical quantity distribution. Such measurement system comprises: a body for converting physical quantity distribution (PQDc body) structured in such a way that the condition of injection current changes according to the action of the target physical quantity; multiple electrodes arranged in such a way that they can supply injection current to the PQDc body and measure data of the electric potential distribution generated by the PQDc body as a result; a PQD sensor comprising the PQDc body, electrodes, and an electric signal processing unit that processes electrode signals; and a processing part that processes data with the PQD sensor; wherein the measurement method comprises a data acquisition procedure to cause electrodes to generate injection current and measure the electric potential distribution that generates in the PQDc body, which is used as measured data, and an estimation procedure to read the measured data and use the read data to obtain the distribution of the target physical quantity that acts upon the PQDc body.

Method for measuring physical quantity distribution and measurement system using sensor for physical quantity distribution

The invention provides a tactile sensor module that enables adjustment of the density of sensing elements and adjustment of mounting regions to be carried out in a straightforward manner with one type of module that is highly adaptive to complex curved surfaces. A tactile sensor module comprises a flexible substrate having one or a plurality of strips, a plurality of sensing elements arranged at the one or plurality of strips of the flexible substrate, one or more communication terminals provided at the flexible substrate; and at least one electronic circuit section provided at the flexible substrate having communication functions. At least one of the strips comprises a foldable region and/or a cuttable region.

Tactile sensor module with a flexible substrate adapted for use on a curved surface and method of a mounting tactile sensor

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Tsukuba, Japan

Akihiko Nagakubo