TakkTile (via Harvard Biorobotics)
Harvard's biorobotics team has been creating some fascinating products lately. They created a robotic arm which is much more economical and durable than most. Another project they have been working on involves Freescale Semiconductor's MPL115A2. The device is a tiny digital barometer which the department plans to use as the heart of their TakkTile open-source boards.
The first of the TakkTile boards come in an array structure. As a result of the symmetry, smaller pieces can be broken off and used for a smaller design purpose. In addition, the sensors are acutely sensitive but yet extremely durable. The team has stated that the sensors can pick up a human pulse if placed against the wrist, while also being able to withhold the mass of a 25 pound dumbbell. (Some acknowledgment should be given to the breadboard's ability to handle all the abuse too.)
The sensors durability and sensitivity is due to a rubber coating applied to the tops of the sensors. The coating is 6mm thick and applied through a rubber casting process and then degassed. Degassing allows any air trapped within the rubber to escape and creates a solid layer of rubber while maintaining the sensitivity of the sensor.
The TakkTile boards the department is putting out are going to be I2C and USB compatible with a sampling rate of about 1kHz. They will also be rather cheap when purchasing a large amount. For a quantity of 500, they will go for $1.13 each. The department also is looking to open-source the boards making it more readily available to everyone. Possible applications include barometry, health monitoring, air control systems, and altimeters. The biorobotics department is almost surely going to be using them for robots though, creating robots that can feel whatever they touch.
Cabe