The main safety concern for this unit if it was to be mass produced would be the power supply. The circuit runs of a 5 volt rail so therefore from 240 volt mains it would need a transformer to give a 5 volt regulated supply. The circuitry would have to be contained inside a metal box which would need to be earthed. The mains supply would need to be fused in order to protect the unit. An electrical safety test would be required as part of the final test procedure and an appropriate classification would need to be determined.
The tactile sensor assembly would also need a protective cover which would not inhibit its function.
Consumer considerations
An appropriate user interface would need to be designed for this unit. Some considerations would be whether to use a touch screen or push button screen and also if a printout of the results would be required.
The tactile sensor gives an ADC value for the weight of the object. This value would then be converted to the correct weight of the object. The software would need a conversion program to convert the ADC value to the correct weight. This would require various test weights to be applied and the corresponding ADC count values determined.
There would also be a maximum weight and shape size that this sensor can measure. Therefore it would require a stringent test procedure to determine these values. A maximum and minimum value would need to be indicated to the end user before use. A user manual would be useful which would also include the specifications of the tactile sensor.
