Tekscan, Inc.

Christopher George

Charles Malacaria

Thomas Papakostas

Mark Lowe

Robert M Podoloff

Gary Loomis

Gabor Papp

Camilo Aladro

Michael Harty

Arnon Ofaim

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a thin, light, and portable system for measuring one or more parameters of a contact patch between a tire and a surface. The system may be configured with an array of sensors capable of being removable fixed to the surface. The array of sensors may measure the one or more parameters of the contact patch between the tire and the surface. Moreover, the system may include a scanner configured to interpret the measurements from the array of sensors as data and store the data.

Portable tire contact sensors

A sensor for measuring a parameter applied to a surface is provided. The sensor includes at least one substrate layer, a plurality of individual sensor elements operatively arranged with respect to the substrate layer, and a conductive trace disposed on the substrate layer. The conductive trace is electrically coupled to an individual sensor element and wraps around at least a portion of the sensor element in a spiral-like manner. Further, by employing slits or cut-outs of material between sensor elements, a sensor element may move independent of an adjacent sensor element, thereby allowing the sensor to conform to an irregularly shaped surface or otherwise when subject to relatively large deflections. The sensor may be employed to detect force distribution of a seating surface, such as a seat cushion of a wheelchair.

Sensor with a plurality of sensor elements arranged with respect to a substrate

A system and method for equilibrating and calibrating a pressure or force sensor is provided. The system includes a flexible bag arranged to receive the sensor, and a vacuum source, connectable with the flexible bag, adapted to reduce the pressure within the flexible bag. By reducing the pressure within the flexible bag, such that the pressure inside of the bag is less than the pressure outside of the bag, the resultant uniform pressure acting on the sensor is used to calibrate and equilibrate the sensor. The system may include a porous material in the flexible bag to facilitate the evacuation of air from within the flexible bag as the pressure is reduced. The system may also include an opening, such that when the sensor is placed in the bag, a portion of the sensor extends outside of the bag to communicate with a controller. The opening may be provided either on the flexible bag, or on a clamp attached to the flexible bag. The system and method for calibrating and equilibrating a sensor may be employed to correct for sensor variations and/or to correlate sensor output to force or pressure.

Sensor equilibration and calibration system and method

Sensor with plurality of sensor elements arranged with respect to a substrate

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Lynn, MA, United States of America

Christopher George