Abstract
Tactile sensing is required for human-like control with robotic manipulators. Multimodality is an essential component for these tactile sensors, for robots to achieve both the perceptual accuracy required for precise control, as well as the robustness to maintain a stable grasp without causing damage to the object or the robot itself. In this study, we present a cheap, 3D-printed, compliant, dual-modal, optical tactile sensor that is capable of both high (temporal) speed sensing, analogous to pain reception in humans and high (spatial) resolution sensing, analogous to the sensing provided by Merkel cell complexes in the human fingertip. We apply three tasks for testing the sensing capabilities in both modes; first, a depth modulation task, requiring the robot to follow a target trajectory using the high-speed mode; second, a high-resolution perception task, where the sensor perceives angle and radial position relative to an object edge; and third, a tactile exploration task, where the robot uses the high-resolution mode to perceive an edge and subsequently follow the object contour. The robot is capable of modulating contact depth using the high-speed mode, high accuracy in the perception task, and accurate control using the high-resolution mode.
Highlights
R OBUST and flexible tactile sensing is considered one of the major challenges for future robotics
This study presents a sensor which is an evolution of a 3Dprinted optical tactile sensor called the TacTip [8], [11]
We presented a novel, dual-modal, optical tactile sensor, without image processing or a high-resolution imaging system
Summary
R OBUST and flexible tactile sensing is considered one of the major challenges for future robotics. For tactile sensors to be useful, they must be highly accurate, small enough for integration with robotic manipulators and be sensitive to a range of tactile features. This last requirement necessitates multi-modality in future tactile sensors. This letter was recommended for publication by Associate Editor J. As the capabilities of dexterous robotic manipulators has been improving, there has been increasing demand for integration with robust tactile sensors. These sensors will undoubtedly require the ability to detect a range of tactile features, necessitating multimodal tactile sensing.
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