RESUMEN
The manipulation of delicate objects remains a key challenge in the development of industrial robotic grippers. Magnetic force sensing solutions, which provide the required sense of touch, have been demonstrated in previous work. The sensors feature a magnet embedded within a deformable elastomer, which is mounted on top of a magnetometer chip. A key drawback of these sensors lies in the manufacturing process, which relies on the manual assembly of the magnet-elastomer transducer, impacting both the repeatability of measurements across sensors and the potential for a cost-effective solution through mass-manufacturing. In this paper, a magnetic force sensor solution is presented with an optimized manufacturing process that will facilitate mass production. The elastomer-magnet transducer was fabricated using injection molding, and the assembly of the transducer unit, on top of the magnetometer chip, was achieved using semiconductor manufacturing techniques. The sensor enables robust differential 3D force sensing within a compact footprint (5 mm × 4.4 mm × 4.6 mm). The measurement repeatability of these sensors was characterized over multiple samples and 300,000 loading cycles. This paper also showcases how the 3D high-speed sensing capabilities of these sensors can enable slip detection in industrial grippers.
RESUMEN
Magnetic and inductive sensors are the dominant technologies in angular position sensing for automotive applications. This paper introduces a new angular sensor: a hybrid concept combining the magnetic Hall and inductive principles. A magnetic Hall transducer provides an accurate angle from 0° to 180°, whereas an inductive transducer provides a coarse angle from 0° to 360°. For this novel concept, a hybrid target with a magnetic and inductive signature is also needed. Using the two principles at the same time enables superior performances, in terms of range, compactness and robustness, that are not possible when used separately. We realized and characterized a prototype. The prototype achieves a 360° range, has a high accuracy and is robust against mechanical misalignments, stray fields and stray metals. The measurement results demonstrate that the two sensing principles are completely independent, thereby opening the doors for hybrid optimum magnetic-inductive designs beyond the usual trade-offs (range vs. resolution, size vs. robustness to misalignment).
RESUMEN
Due to their excellent electrical properties, metallic carbon nanotubes are promising materials for interconnect wires in future integrated circuits. Simulations have shown that the use of metallic carbon nanotube interconnects could yield more energy efficient and faster integrated circuits. The next step is to build an experimental prototype integrated circuit using carbon nanotube interconnects operating at high speed. Here, we report the fabrication of the first stand-alone integrated circuit combining silicon transistors and individual carbon nanotube interconnect wires on the same chip operating above 1 GHz. In addition to setting a milestone by operating above 1 GHz, this prototype is also a tool to investigate carbon nanotubes on a silicon-based platform at high frequencies, paving the way for future multi-GHz nanoelectronics.