Patent ID: 8596111

Claim:
A sensing element for sensing the softness of an object by abutting said sensing element against said object and biasing said sensing element toward said object with a biasing force, said sensing element comprising: a deformable section, said deformable section defining a deformable section contact surface, said deformable section contact surface being deformable between an undeformed configuration and a deformed configuration, said deformed configuration being achievable when said deformable section contact surface is abutted against and biased toward said object; a deformation sensor operatively coupled to said deformable section for sensing a deformation of said deformable section contact surface between said deformed and undeformed configurations; and a force sensor operatively coupled to said deformable section for sensing said biasing force exerted onto said deformable section contact surface by said object when said deformable section contact surface is biased toward said object with said biasing force; wherein said biasing force and said deformation are sensed respectively by said force sensor and said deformation sensor independently from each other.