Force/torque sensing is an important modality for robotic manipulation, but commodity solutions, generally developed with other applications in mind, do not generally fit the needs of robot hands. This paper introduces a novel method for six-axis force/torque sensing, using LEDs to sense the displacement between two plates connected by a transparent elastomer. Our method allows for finger-size packaging with no amplification electronics, low cost manufacturing, and easy integration into a complete hand. On test forces between 0-2 N, our prototype sensor exhibits a mean error between 0.05 and 0.07 N across the three force directions, suggesting future applicability to fine manipulation tasks.

翻译：力/力矩传感是机器人操作的一项重要感知方式，但通常为其他应用开发的商用解决方案往往不适用于机器人手的需求。本文介绍了一种新颖的六轴力/力矩传感方法，该方法利用LED来检测由透明弹性体连接的两块板之间的位移。我们的方法可实现手指尺寸的封装，无需放大电路，制造成本低廉，并能轻松集成到完整的手部系统中。在0-2 N的测试力范围内，我们的原型传感器在三个力方向上的平均误差介于0.05至0.07 N之间，这表明其在未来精细操作任务中具有应用潜力。