Hardware

Load Cell

A load cell is a transducer that measures force, most commonly by sensing the minute deformation of a metal flexure with bonded strain gauges arranged in a Wheatstone bridge. Signal conditioning amplifies the microvolt-level output into a calibrated force reading. In robotics, load cells appear in gripper fingertips, joint torque sensors, multi-axis force-torque sensors at the wrist, and test rigs for actuator characterization.

Why it matters for physical AI

Direct force measurement grounds contact-rich manipulation: insertion, polishing, and handover tasks need force feedback that vision cannot provide, and force signals are increasingly logged as a training modality.