Tactile exploration by contour following using a biomimetic fingertip

Abstract

Humans use a contour following exploratory procedure to estimate object shape by touch. Here we demonstrate autonomous robotic contour following with a biomimetic tactile fingertip, the Tac-Tip, using an active touch method previously developed for other types of touch sensors. We use Bayesian sequential analysis for perception and implement an active control strategy to follow an object contour. The technique is tested on a 110mm diameter circle and yields results comparable with those previously achieved for other tactile sensors. We intend to extend the work onto a different robot platform with improved trajectory control to improve robustness, speed and match with human performance.