Patent ID: 8300018

Claim:
A tactile sensor, comprising: a pressure sensitive sheet having a length in an x direction, a width in a y direction and a thickness in a z direction, the pressure sensitive sheet providing an electrical resistance; at least one pair of electrode parts on a peripheral part of the pressure sensitive sheet for passing a current through the pressure sensitive sheet in at least one of the x direction and y direction; and a pair of electrically conductive sheets provided on opposite surfaces in the thickness direction of the pressure sensitive sheet for passing a current between the pair of electrically conductive sheets through the pressure sensitive sheet only in the z direction, the electrically conductive sheets being on opposite sides of the pressure sensitive sheet; wherein the pair of electrically conductive sheets are coextensive with the pressure sensitive sheet, wherein surfaces of the pair of electrically conductive sheets facing the pressure sensitive sheet have electrical conductivity, and wherein the pressure sensitive sheet is sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction by the pair of electrically conductive sheets for passing the current through the pair of electrically conductive sheets only in the z direction when any part inside the peripheral part of the pressure sensitive sheet is pressed.