Finger-shaped sensor enables more dexterous robots

MIT researchers have developed a camera-based touch sensor that mimics the shape of a human finger. The sensor, called the GelSight Svelte, is long, curved, and provides high-resolution tactile sensing over a large area. It uses two mirrors to reflect and refract light so that a single camera, located at the base of the sensor, can see along the entire length of the finger. The researchers also built the sensor with a flexible backbone that can estimate the force being placed on it by measuring how it bends when it touches an object. The GelSight Svelte sensors were used to create a robotic hand that can perform multiple types of grasps, including pinch grasps and power grasps. This new sensor opens up possibilities for different manipulation tasks that robots can perform. The researchers plan to further enhance the sensor so that it can bend at the joints, similar to a human finger.



Source link