US Patent 8943902 Force and torque sensors

Force and torque sensors (10, 10a) include a load-bearing element (12), and strain gauges (20, 22, 23) mounted on the load-bearing element (12) so that the strain gauges (20, 22, 23) generate outputs responsive to external forces and moments applied to the load-bearing element (12). The strain gauges (20, 22, 23) are configured, and the responsive outputs of the strain gauges (20, 22, 23) are processed such that the force and moment measurements generated by the sensors (10, 10a) are substantially immune from drift due to thermally-induced strain in the load-bearing element (12).