Collision Avoidance using Capacitive Pr...

In order to allow human beings to co-operate with robots, strict measures are required to avoid the risk of injuries. Capacitive Proximity Sensors embedded in robotic skins offer a cost-effective solution for the close-range perception of the robots’ surroundings, filling the open gap between tactile sensing and mid-range perception in collaborative work cells. Recently, series elastic robots have seen increased interest for such applications, as elastic components can act as a passive mechanical energy storage in case of contact, reducing the potential impact on the human co-worker. In this work we investigate the applicability of Capacitive Proximity Sensors in a collision-avoidance scenario using a series elastic robotic arm. The robot’s motion is assessed together with the capacitive output of the Capacitive Proximity Sensor. Our sensor is driven by a novel closed-loop class D amplifier fully on-chip driver circuit with small space requirements, allowing it to be directly integrated into robotic skins.