Highlights

The author thanks Ken Soltz and Mark Lowe of Tekscan, Ian Main and Damon Campbell of Xsensor, Fran oise P tz and Gabriele Tanson of IEE, David Ables and Jerry Handelsman of Pressure Profile Systems, Ron Groenland of Helvoet Elex and Axel Kalpen of Novel for useful discussions and the pictures.

The author

C.M.A. Ashruf is an independent technology consultant, working in the fields of electronic instrumentation and micro-electromechanical systems, based in Den Hoorn, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 6 48 33 51 87; E-mail: colin@ashruf.com; www.ashruf.com

Keywords

Sensors, Measurement

Abstract

This article gives an overview on the currently available techniques for the measurement of interface pressure or force between (soft) objects. These techniques make use of single sensor elements as well as integrated arrays of sensors to obtain pressure maps. Most of these devices originate from biomedical applications such as the evaluation of wheelchairs and the prevention of pressure ulcers in hospital beds. Today, these technologies are used in a wide range of applications such as computer peripherals, robotics, automotive systems and consumer electronics. These typical applications are considered in the first section. Next, the sensor technologies (and their suppliers) are briefly described and compared. The list of suppliers and technologies is intended as an overview and may not be complete. Finally, new developments in this field are discussed.

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