A promising application of bulk metallic glasses in torque sensor

Torque sensors are essential components of robotic joints. In the past, structure optimization of force-sensing elements has been the common approach to improve the performance of the torque sensors. In this work, we demonstrate a torque sensor with bulk metallic glasses as a force-sensing element. Compared with the sensors made of stainless steel and aluminum alloy, the use of bulk metallic glass as a force-sensing element significantly improves sensor sensitivity, linearity, repeatability, hysteresis, and measuring range. Our work not only opens up a new avenue for the application of bulk metallic glasses, but also provides opportunities for enhancing the performance of force/torque sensors through materials optimization.