Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gelsight, Inc.

General Electric Company

Tufts University

Realnetworks Gmbh

Edward H Adelson

Janos Rohaly

Micah K Johnson

Bernd Girod

Andrew Benjamin Lippman

Nicholas Lauder

William T Freeman

F Richard Cottrell

William F Schreiber

Demetrio Donald Anaya

Mandayam A Srinivasan

Branden Romero

William J Butera

Eero P Simoncelli

Sandra Liu

Mohan Thanikachalam

Abhijit Biswas

Nicholas Coleman

Radhen Bharatbhai Patel

Filipe Fernandes Veiga

Meaghan Ann Merrill

Aran N Netravali

John Y Wang

A retrographic sensor includes a transparent structure, a transparent elastomeric pad, and an at least partially reflective layer. One or more excitation light sources emit light toward a side surface of the transparent structure. The side surface may include a fluorescent layer, where the light from the one or more excitation light sources excites fluorescent emissions from the fluorescent layer. The fluorescent emissions may illuminate the at least partially reflective layer.

Retrographic sensors with fluorescent illumination

A retrographic sensor includes a flexible transparent structure, a transparent elastomeric pad, and an at least partially reflective layer. The flexible transparent structure may be configured to elastically deform between multiple configurations. At least one light source emits light into the transparent structure. The flexible transparent structure may include one or more markers that are illuminated by the at least one light source. The retrographic sensor may also include a photosensitive detector configured to image the flexible transparent structure and one or more markers. A processor may determine a configuration of the flexible transparent structure based at least in part on an image from the one or more markers.

Flexible optical tactile sensor

Retrographic sensor cartridge

A topographical measurement system uses an imaging cartridge formed of a rigid optical element and a clear, elastomeric sensing surface configured to capture high-resolution topographical data from a measurement surface. The imaging cartridge may be configured as a removable cartridge for the system so that the imaging cartridge, including the rigid optical element and elastomeric sensing surface can be removed and replaced as a single, integral component that is robust/stable over multiple uses, and easily user-replaceable as frequently as necessary or desired. The cartridge may also usefully incorporate a number of light shaping and other features to support optimal illumination and image capture.

Surface topography measurement systems

A method is directed to continuously, non-invasively, and directly measuring blood pressure, and includes providing a calibrated measurement device having a blood-flow control balloon and a sensor array. The method further includes placing the sensor array in a non-invasive manner over the surface of a patch of skin connected to an artery by adjoining soft tissues and inflating the blood-flow control balloon with a controlled amount of pressure. In response to the inflating of the blood-flow control balloon, changes in the artery geometry and forces are detected, via the sensor array, during a heartbeat cycle. The changes correspond to spatio-temporal signals from the artery or in the adjoining soft tissues. The spatio-temporal signals are measured and processed, via a controller, to determine blood-pressure parameters.

Tactile blood pressure imager

A retrographic sensor includes a clear elastomer substrate, a deformable reflective layer, and a contact surface with an array of rigid, non-planar features formed of a material or a pattern of particles to mitigate adhesion to a target surface while permitting the egress of trapped air around a region of interest. This combination of features permits the contact surface of the sensor to more closely conform to the target surface while physically transferring the topography of the target surface to the deformable layer for imaging through the substrate.

Retrographic sensors

A retrographic sensor includes a transparent structure, a transparent elastomeric pad, and an at least partially reflective layer. One or more light sources emit light into a side surface of the transparent structure. The light undergoes internal reflection in the transparent structure and is reflected toward a camera oriented toward the transparent structure. The at least partially reflective layer may be semi-specular in some embodiments.

Retrographic sensors with compact illumination

Continuous measurement of surfaces larger than a sensor is facilitated by the use of a sensor matrix of a clear elastomer and a reflective surface that scrolls, rolls, or otherwise moves over a target surface. A variety of web materials, camera configurations, and handling systems are described to achieve continuous three-dimensional measurement in this context.

Continuous contact-based three-dimensional measurement

This disclosure provides systems, devices, and methods for capturing and measuring surface topography. This disclosure provides a high resolution retrographic sensor comprising a volume of elastomer and a thin, opaque reflective membrane. The reflective membrane is arranged to conform to a specimen that contacts it. The disclosure provides a high resolution visualization system comprising the retrographic sensor and an illumination source. Also provided are high resolution measurement systems comprising the retrographic sensor, an illumination source, an imaging device, and a processing component.

High-resolution surface measurement systems and methods

A tactile sensor includes a photosensing structure, a volume of elastomer capable of transmitting an image, and a reflective skin covering the volume of elastomer. The reflective skin is illuminated through the volume of elastomer by one or more light sources, and has particles that reflect light incident on the reflective skin from within the volume of elastomer. The reflective skin is geometrically altered in response to pressure applied by an entity touching the reflective skin, the geometrical alteration causing localized changes in the surface normal of the skin and associated localized changes in the amount of light reflected from the reflective skin in the direction of the photosensing structure. The photosensing structure receives a portion of the reflected light in the form of an image, the image indicating one or more features of the entity producing the pressure.

Tactile sensor using elastomeric imaging

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Edward H Adelson