A force and torque tensegrity sensor

Tensegrity structures represent a special class of flexible structures, whose members can simultaneously perform the functions of strength, sensing, actuating, and feedback control. In this article we show how these structures intrinsic properties can be exploited to construct a smart sensor for simultaneous measurement of six different quantities: three orthogonal forces and three orthogonal torques. The static and dynamic characteristics of the sensor are computed and the influence of friction and prestress upon these characteristics is analyzed. An optimal estimator design is presented and its performance is evaluated through numerical simulations. These simulations indicate that the tensegrity sensor is capable of simultaneously providing correct estimates of the six quantities of interest. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.