OptoForce sensors make a difference in tough environments

Military-Inspired Sensors Outperform Competing Technologies

OptoForce OMD 30mm, 1600 N, Flat Top is a high performance sensor created for heavy duty environments. Originally designed for a US army project to develop walking robots, the OptoForce sensor has several advantages over strain-gauge load cells. Typical strain-gauge load cells often break under the high dynamic loads and building an overload protection for such sensors would be prohibitively expensive.

OptoForce sensors can safely deform by a few millimetres, which means building a hard stop as a mechanical overload protection is quite easy and economical. Additionally, these sensors can measure shear forces, which wasn�t possible with earlier transducers. They have an overload protection of up to 600 percent and are resistant against chemicals, dust and water.