ABSTRACT
The control of a manipulator or industrial robot is based on the correct interpretation of sensory information. The sensory information can be obtained from both vision and non-vision sensors. A vision system allows the position and orientation of the workpiece to be acquired; however, its performance is dependent on lighting, perspective distortion, and the background. Touch and tactile sensors are devices which measure the parameters of a contact between the sensor and an object. This interaction obtained is confined to a small defined region. This contrasts with a force and torque sensor, which measures the total forces being applied to an object. Study of the human sense of touch suggests that creating a gripper incorporating tactile sensing requires a wide range of sensors to fully determine the state of a grip. Human touch is of considerable complexity, with sensors that respond to a range of stimuli including temperature, pain, acceleration, velocity, and intensity.
