It might seem a strange thing to ask but, how do you buy a Force Torque Sensor for research? Making sure you are getting the right sensor for your research can actually be quite a complicated process. There are many factors and specifications to consider. Making the right choice at the buying stage can save your good investment from becoming a big headache. This simple, 5 step process makes it easy to select the right force torque sensor for your research.
Buying any technology for research is a tricky task. As researchers, we often have a limited budget, limited time and high expectations about what technology can do for us. Researchers in many fields use force torque sensors, including physicists, mechanical engineers and product developers, not to mention roboticists. If you're a researcher using any type of force sensor, you should definitely check out our new, free eBook, Force Sensors in Robotics Research: The Essential Guide (which you can download here). Although it's focused on robotics, much of the information is relevant to all researchers.
Research technology must be flexible. In industrial settings, a sensor is likely to be bought for one application only. In research, the same force torque sensor might be used for dozens of different projects over many years. You want to make sure the sensor does not become just another piece of electronic junk after your current project is over.
A force torque sensor can be quite an investment, especially for small research labs or R&D departments with limited budgets. As a result, buying a force torque sensor is not usually an impulse purchase. We must carefully compare the different specifications and features of each sensor against our current requirements and possible future requirements.
One of the reasons that 6-axis force torque sensors are so popular in research is that they're quite "future proof" compared to more single use sensors. Although you might not need to measure forces in all 6 axes right now, a 6-axis force torque sensor is usually a good investment because of its flexibility, accuracy and reliability.
In the past, when a member of the general public wanted to buy a washing machine, they would just walk into a store and buy the model recommended by the salesperson. Those days are gone. These days, many people buy new technology in the same way that researchers do. Most researchers perform a thorough review of the market, then weigh up the pros and cons of each manufacturer and model before committing to buying a product. Force torque sensors are no different. Here is a procedure for making sure you buy the right force torque sensor for your research.
Before buying a force torque sensor, you need to decide what tasks you are going to use it for. Of course, you may use the sensor for other tasks later on, but we've got to start somewhere.
First, ask yourself some questions about your application:
Then, think about the working environment where the force sensor will operate:
Such questions will help you to narrow down the operating parameters. In our free, 4-part email series, we include a list of resources where you find even more questions to ask yourself about the application and working environment.
After you have defined your applications, you should assess your own resources. These will affect which force torque sensor you choose. For example, space restrictions will determine the maximum size of the sensor. Time restrictions will determine whether or not you require a more "plug and play" type sensor.
Be realistic about the amount of resources you can devote to integrating the sensor into your existing systems. For example, some sensors might require you to add low-level electronics (e.g. analog circuits or TTL). These will take longer to integrate than sensors which include their own electronics. The benefits may (or may not) be worth it. Check out Sebastian Bélanger ’s article on abstraction to see when you should rely on others for this type of thing.
In research, it's easy to forget about some of these other factors and just focus on the monetary cost. However, other factors are equally important, even though they might not be so tangible. Picking a force torque sensor which easily integrates into your existing systems allows you to spend more of your efforts on the most important parts of your research.
As with many engineering decisions, choosing between different products is a balancing act. Products with better technical specifications usually cost more. Sensors with high performance in one specification might have low performance in another. Do you really need the best sensor or can you sacrifice a bit of performance? Which specifications are vital to your application? Which can you live without? Take time to work out what performance you will actually require of the force torque sensor. You will want to shop around for sensors which can supply at least that performance, or a little more.
List each specification in order of preference. Some specifications will be vital for your application, others will be less important. Here are a few of the most important specifications for force torque sensors. For a more comprehensive list and more detail, check out our free eBook.
You can find much of this information on the datasheet from the sensor manufacturer. Sometimes there will be missing information or a manufacturers will list the specifications using different measurements.
When you have defined your application, resources and specifications, it's time to "shop around" for different force torque sensors. This means making a thorough review of the market to find out what type of force torque sensors are available.
For each potential sensor, you'll want to:
Once you have collected information about several force torque sensors, you should look critically at each one. Ask yourself:
One added advantage of performing a systematic search like this is that you can include it in your research reports. This provides good justification for your research budget. By this point, you should be pretty clear about which force torque sensors is the most suited for your research. You can then go ahead and buy it!
Most force torque sensors provide a great source of clean, high quality data which you can use in your research papers. For tips on how to best present force data in your research, make sure to download our free eBook and email series. The eBook has a whole section on how to use force data in your research and the emails include a load of resources on how best to present force data in publications and reports. Download it by clicking the big button below! (Did we mention, it's free!)
What specifications are the most important for your research? What process do you usually use to buy new technology? Do you have any questions about force sensors? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.