*** 9627270 Grahn This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project takes a crucial step towards making manufacturing more flexible by reducing or eliminating the need for specialized end-effectors in many applications. This will be achieved by endowing general-purpose end-effectors with triaxial force sensing arrays. Information from these arrays. Information from these arrays can be used to facilitate object grasping, manipulation, and slip detection and correction, as well as increasing productivity and product quality through the monitoring and feedback controlling of these forces during the robot task cycle. Phase I established the feasibility of the proposed triaxial force sensing concept and sensor construction was greatly simplified along with making the se nsor more robust and more economical to fabricate. In Phase II of this project, a small, high-density prototype triaxial force sensor array will be designed and fabricated for use on robot end-effectors. Rubbers for use in the sensor's pad will be extensively evaluated. Support electronics for the force sensor array will be designed, fabricated, and integrated into an existing electronics uni-axial tactile sensor system. System software will be developed for operating the sensor and displaying the normal and shear force data. Once the triaxial force sensor system is fully operational, its performance will be evaluated. Arrays will find use in flexible manufacturing, industrial automation, telerobotics, tire tread testing, foot force distribution, gait analysis, development of handles on sporting goods, industrial tools, and surgical tools. Single-element sensors will be used in computer cursor control, as accelerometers, and triazial forceplates. ***
