Organization: ForceN
Country: Canada
Website: forcen.tech
Year Founded: 2015
Number of Employees: 11-50
Innovation Class: Technology
As robots move into unstructured environments, they need better sensing for navigation, safety, and manipulation. However, the integration of force-torque feedback into robotic applications has been difficult. In 2024, ForceN Inc. introduced its first Development Kit ecosystem, which it said makes force-torque sensing more adaptable, cost-effective, and scalable.
Conventional force-torque sensors typically rely on strain gauge-based load cells, which are manually adhered and soldered onto the transducer body, then hand-balanced with resistors. The sensor is calibrated to compensate for manual errors, according to the Toronto-based company.
For example, a 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) system requires the assembly of 16 strain gauges, soldering of 32 wires, and balancing of four bridges. The accuracy and durability of the sensor, as well as edge computing for fault detection or grip detection, are all left to the customer, ForceN noted.
The Development Kit consists of multi-axis force-torque sensors, software, algorithms, and application programming interfaces (APIs). ForceN said its 1, 3, and 6 DoF systems are ready for integration and testing, allowing users to build with a simple core technology stack.
The Toronto-based company said it initially designed the modular technology for the medical robotics industry, where accuracy, reliability, robustness, compactness, and extended operating ranges are paramount.
The kit includes the ForceFilm transducer array, which can be wrapped and laminated around any structure, eliminating the need for individual wires or additional soldering. ForceN’s DedicatedOverload unibody geometry is cut directly into the sensing structure for high-loading, unstructured applications.
In addition, the Development Kit includes the Synap digital signal processing and sensor engine for on-board calibration and cross-talk compensation. All this technology is packed into a unit smaller than a standard U.S. quarter.
Unlike conventional catalog-based force-torque options, ForceN said its fully integrated sensors are “made to measure” and eliminate the need for additional processing electronics, calibration cabling, or connectors. Its tech stack can help meet intensifying demand for enhanced, cost-effective hardware, actuators, multi-modal data, and sensors.