Autonomous Systems Lab at the University of Sussex

The tactile sensors are simple switches that uses a piece of springy coiled steel tube as a whisker to detect when the robot has bumped into an obstacle. A small deflection of the 'whisker' causes the switch contact to close and makes the output of the switch go high, or in computer speak 'returns 1'.

In order to make detecting the switch easier and to avoid the possibility that the controller might miss the activation, or the switch contacts fail to make a clean electrical connection, the sensors are fitted with a component that ensures that, when activated, the output will remain high for at least a few tenths of a second, even if the switch was only closed for a few thousandths of a second.

A more sophisticated version of the sensors is available that has two levels of sensing. This has two outputs which will operate one after the other, the first with a small deflection of the whisker and the second with a larger deflection.

Hardware: -	The Controller - Sensors - Actuators - IO devices - Controller in-depth -
Software: -	Library Functions - Commands - Compiling and Uploading - Using P-Term - Examples -
Examples: -	Braitenberg Tutorial - Using the Sharp IR rangefinders -


LEGO Robot Resources	Tactile Sensors for more detailed info and circuit diagrams visit the Electronics page

The tactile sensors are simple switches that uses a piece of springy coiled steel tube as a whisker to detect when the robot has bumped into an obstacle. A small deflection of the 'whisker' causes the switch contact to close and makes the output of the switch go high, or in computer speak 'returns 1'. In order to make detecting the switch easier and to avoid the possibility that the controller might miss the activation, or the switch contacts fail to make a clean electrical connection, the sensors are fitted with a component that ensures that, when activated, the output will remain high for at least a few tenths of a second, even if the switch was only closed for a few thousandths of a second. A more sophisticated version of the sensors is available that has two levels of sensing. This has two outputs which will operate one after the other, the first with a small deflection of the whisker and the second with a larger deflection.
Tactile Sensor - Side View:

Tactile Sensor - Top View: