A Thermal Sensor Array to Provide Tactile Feedback for Robots

This paper describes a new type of tactile sensor array de signed to provide sensory feedback for a robot manipulator system. It is modeled on the thermal touch sense, which enables humans to distinguish between different materials based on how "cold" or "warm" they feel. The essential parts of the sensor are a heat source and a thin layer of sili cone rubber with a 2 X 10 array of miniature thermistors embedded in its surface. Some results are presented that demonstrate the ability of thermal sensors to produce images of touched objects and to discriminate the different materials used in their construction.