Till now, sensitive tactile sensors have been too expensive for all but elite research institutes, and too fragile for applications in the real world beyond the lab.
TakkTile's breakthrough technology leverages MEMS barometers to deliver 1-gram sensitivity for a fraction of the cost of existing systems, in a package durable enough it can survive being hit with a baseball bat.
The Approach
- Mount barometer sensor chips on standard printed circuit boards
- Cast in rubber in vacuum chamber
- Interface with I2C bus or USB
For further details on how it works, see technology, and for the research article, see here
We are aggressively supporting community development to get it out to the maximum impact in the real world. Check out the plans here, tutorials here — they are free for research and non-commercial use! Or, order pre-made boards here if you don't want to build PCBs and cast plastic yourself. For commercial applications, see consulting and licensing.
News
Robotic Trends "TakkTile Sensor Gives Robots Softer Touch at Lower Cost" 2013-04-24
Discovery News "Robots' Crushing Grip Turned To Delicate Touch" 2013-04-22
Science Daily "Robot Hands Gain a Gentler Touch: Tactile Sensing Technology Builds On Tiny Barometer Chips" 2013-04-18
TakkTile featured in Make Blog coverage of the 7th HW Meetup 2013-03-27
Hack A Day "Building touch sensors from digital barometer chips" 2012-08-30
Engadget "TakkTile turns digital barometers into open-source robot touch sensors" 2012-08-04
