Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-114). Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. Directed by Bert Bras. / Bras, Bert, Committee Chair ; Baker, Nelson, Committee Member ; Griffin, Paul, Committee Member ; Paredis, Chris, Committee Member ; Rosen, David, Committee Member. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScIng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. / Arkin, Ronald, Committee Member ; DeWeerth, Steve, Committee Member ; Vito, Raymond, Committee Member ; Ebert-Uphoff, Imme, Committee Member ; Book, Wayne, Committee Chair. Includes bibliographical references.

We present the design, analysis and construction of a biologicallyinspired tactile sensor. The sensor can measure normal and lateralforces, conform to the surfaces with which it comes in contact andincrease the friction of the surface for a good grasp.The sensor is built using a simple process and the applied forcesare read using standard electronics. These features make thesensors ideal for mass production.We are motivated to build tactile sensors that are useful forrobotic manipulation given that the current ones do not have thefeatures that we consider necessary. The sensors presented in thispaper have been designed to deal with these issues. They have beendesigned and implemented in the fingers of the humanoid robotObrero.

Dexterous manipulation operations using robotic or prosthetic fingers is seemingly facilitated with enhanced tactile feedback. Using a combination of artificial sensors and actuators, a tactile feedback system that conveys tactual information (force, pressure, & temperature) from an artificial fingertip to the user’s hand is developed and tested with subjects. Results reveal that subjects are capable of distinguishing specific actuators with a high degree of accuracy. The sensor density and actuator fidelity of the feedback system is insufficient to yield performance equal to that of a human’s natural tactile senses. Future studies are recommended to identify optimal tactile feedback sites as well as to discover a more robust system to be used in robotic and immersive virtual reality contexts.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第17822号 / 医博第3820号 / 新制||医||999(附属図書館) / 30637 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 中山 健夫, 教授 鈴木 茂彦, 教授 三森 経世 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

When people go to a mall, museums, or other such locations they tend to rely on maps to find their way around. However, for people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) maps are not easily accessible and they depend on other means, such as a guide, to get around. Research has only just begun to investigate providing maps for people who are BVI on touch screen devices. Many different types of feedback have been used: audio (sound), tactile (touch), audio-tactile, and multitouch. Some research has been conducted on the benefit of using multiple fingers (multitouch) and has found conflicting results. Yet, no known research has been conducted on the comparison of using audio feedback to that of tactile feedback. In this study, we look to try and answer two questions. 1.) Is audio equal to or better than tactile? As well as: 2.) Does multiple fingers help? Participants were asked to use seven different methods (4 audio, 3 tactile) to explore an overview map and an individual map and answer questions about them. Results showed that overall, audio cues are similar or better than tactile cues which is beneficial since it requires less battery to generate audio cues than tactile cues. It was also shown that the use of multiple fingers was more beneficial in tasks that are spatially demanding. While those who have tactile experience benefited when using two fingers with each finger represented by a different instrument played to separated ears.

Advancements in soft materials and hybrid flexible electronics have enabled developments in flexible circuits and wearables. Where rigid electronics are extremely precise over small physical areas, flexible electronics have the capability to sense over large curved areas. From the onset of epidermal electronics and flexible transistors, there have been great advancements in sensing over soft curved objects, such as human skin or brain tissue. This thesis focuses on hybrid flexible electronics to sense and stimulate over large areas. The aim of the systems presented is to provide insight into complex navigation and sensor processing systems. In addition to the design, fabrication, and characterization of each device, several important characteristics of each device are investigated: material choice, curvature limits, and device sensitivity. The first device presented in this thesis uses strain gauges to track the bending of neurosurgery navigation stylets for catheter placement. The strain gauge fabrication and characterization is presented. Adhesive testing, stylet bending modeling, and noise techniques are also discussed as they were found to be critical components of the system. The device's limit of detection is 1 mm tip displacement. The purpose of the second set of devices presented is to gain object information from curved or edged robotic structures. Three sensing modes were explored: piezoelectric, strain, and capacitive. The piezoelectric sensor was founded to have a 6.7 times increase in sensitivity when an open-cell foam compliant layer is used. The strain sensor was found to have a gauge factor of 2.83 on a silicone layer and 1.5 on a polymer layer. The combination of the piezoelectric and strain sensing modes is presented. The capacitive sensor is able to detect object shape using inverse problem mathematical techniques. The third device and system presented is a flexible electrode array for stimulating the electroreceptors of electric fish. The spatial and temporal control of a conformal stimulation array enables the decoding of motor signals in the brain. The array fabrication and system development is presented. Surface modification of the electrode array successfully altered the surface energy of the array to match that of the fish for the optimal array-fish interface. In summary, the development and integration of these flexible electronic devices has been achieved. It was found that the interface between the flexible electronic devices and binding objects is critical to device sensitivity and reliability.

The present study was designed to investigate the efficiency of a visual and tactile presentation of a design as compared to just a visual presentation to determine if the two-sense method helped the subjects in drawing the designs accurately in less trials.