The University of British Columbia

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Motir Co., Ltd.

John D W Madden

Mirza Saquib Sarwar

Ryusuke Ishizaki

Shahriar Mirabbasi

Yuta Dobashi

Meisam Farajollahi

Saeedeh Ebrahimi Takalloo

Garth Eden Claire Preston

A pair of first electrodesis arranged in a state being separated in a direction parallel to a contact surfaceof a base materialmade of a dielectric and being at least partially in contact with the base material. A pair of second electrodesis arranged in a state of overlapping at least one of the pair of first electrodes and sandwiching the base materialat a position farther from the contact surfaceof the base materialthan the pair of first electrodesandin a direction perpendicular to the contact surfaceof the base material. The proximity state of an object Q with respect to the contact surfaceof the base materialis detected according to the measurement result of the capacitance Cbetween the pair of first electrodesand

Capacitance detection sensor, capacitance detection sensor module and state determination method using capacitance detection sensor

The capacitance sensorincludes a self-capacitance electrode, first electrodes(() to()), and a second electrodewhich are arranged being separated from each other in a thickness direction of an elastically deformable base materialformed by a dielectric. The self-capacitance electrodeis connected to a first connection portionfor measuring capacitance by a self-capacitance method and a grounded second connection portionvia a switchso as to be selectively connected to the first connection portionand the second connection portion

Capacitance sensor and measurement device

A sensor unit to be incorporated in a skin-like layer of machines such as robots employs a set of sensor electrodes supported in a first deformable sheet and a base electrode supported in a second deformable sheet, each of the sensor electrodes partially overlapping the base electrode so that application of a shear force causes the overlap of the electrodes to differentially change modifying the capacitance of the electrodes and permitting the detection of the shear force.

Deformable sensor for simulating skin and other applications

A capacitance sensorA in which first electrodes() to() and a second electrodeare arranged on a base materialmade of a dielectric includes grounded electrostatic shielding members (() to()). The electrostatic shielding membersare arranged, for example, at positions between first wiring portions()in,()in,() in connected to the first electrodes(),(),() and the second electrode, at a position between a second wiring portion()in connected to the second electrodeand the first electrode(), and at a position between the second wiring portion()in and the first wiring portion()in.

Capacitance sensor

In an electrostatic capacity sensor, first electrodestoare provided on a substrate, and an electrode supporthas dielectric properties and elasticity and is fixed to the substrate. A second electrodeis provided in the electrode supportso as to face the first electrodestowith a distance from the first electrodesto. The electrostatic capacity sensor has improved durability.

Electrostatic capacity sensor

A triaxial force sensorincludes nine first electrodesto, and nine second electrodestoattached to an electrode supportin such a manner that the electrode supportis interposed between the nine first electrodestoand the nine second electrodesto. A pair of first electrodesandare arranged such that a straight line connecting the two is orthogonal to a straight line connecting a pair of first electrodesand, and the second electrodes, andare arranged such that the respective halves overlap the first electrodes, andin plan view. The sensor has a number of components and size, thereby allowing a reduction in manufacturing cost, in the case of detecting forces in orthogonal triaxial directions.

Triaxial force sensor

A sensor for detecting and distinguishing between increasing and decreasing proximity of a pointing element, touch by a pointing element, pressure applied by a pointing element, stretching (and/or other deformation) of the sensor, and any of the above while stretching and/or otherwise deforming the sensor. The sensor may comprise a cluster sensor unit having a first sensor and a second sensor wherein the first sensor has a higher ratio of distal flux to proximate flux as compared to the second sensor. With this flux characteristic, the first sensor is relatively more sensitive (as compared to the second sensor) to proximity of a pointing element, while the second sensor is relatively more sensitive (as compared to the first sensor) to force and/or pressure applied by the pointing element.

Cluster sensor

A sensor unit for detecting bending of the sensor unit comprises: a capacitive upper sensor having an upper capacitance and comprising first and second deformable upper electrodes spaced apart from one another in a Z direction, the first and second upper electrodes respectively having first and second upper shapes; and a capacitive lower sensor having a lower capacitance, spaced apart from the upper sensor in a Z direction and comprising first and second deformable lower electrodes spaced apart from one another in the Z direction, the first and second lower electrodes respectively having first and second lower shapes. For a bend of the sensor unit in a first direction, the first and second upper shapes change such that the upper capacitance decreases and the lower shapes change such that the lower capacitance increases. For a bend of the sensor unit in a second direction opposed to the first direction, the first and second upper shapes change such that the upper capacitance increases and the lower shapes change such that the lower capacitance decreases.

Capacitive bending sensors

An apparatus provides tactile stimulus to a human user using a tri-layer actuator comprising: first and second polymer layers which are electronically and ionically conductive and have one or more dimensions which vary in dependence on insertion of ions therein and withdrawal of ions therefrom; and a deformable layer located between the first and second polymer layers to physically separate the first and second polymer layers from one another, the deformable layer electronically insulating and ionically conductive. Application of first and second voltages between the first and second polymer layers creates corresponding first and second distributions of ions within the first and second polymer layers. Changing between application of the first and second voltages causes corresponding deformation of the tri-layer actuator between corresponding first and second shapes, a difference or transition between the first and second shapes detectable by a sense of touch of a human user.

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Vancouver, Canada

John D W Madden