1,685 research outputs found
ROTEX-TRIIFEX: Proposal for a joint FRG-USA telerobotic flight experiment
The concepts and main elements of a RObot Technology EXperiment (ROTEX) proposed to fly with the next German spacelab mission, D2, are presented. It provides a 1 meter size, six axis robot inside a spacelab rack, equipped with a multisensory gripper (force-torque sensors, an array of range finders, and mini stereo cameras). The robot will perform assembly and servicing tasks in a generic way, and will grasp a floating object. The man machine and supervisory control concepts for teleoperation from the spacelab and from ground are discussed. The predictive estimation schemes for an extensive use of time-delay compensating 3D computer graphics are explained
From pixels to percepts: Highly robust edge perception and contour following using deep learning and an optical biomimetic tactile sensor
Deep learning has the potential to have the impact on robot touch that it has
had on robot vision. Optical tactile sensors act as a bridge between the
subjects by allowing techniques from vision to be applied to touch. In this
paper, we apply deep learning to an optical biomimetic tactile sensor, the
TacTip, which images an array of papillae (pins) inside its sensing surface
analogous to structures within human skin. Our main result is that the
application of a deep CNN can give reliable edge perception and thus a robust
policy for planning contact points to move around object contours. Robustness
is demonstrated over several irregular and compliant objects with both tapping
and continuous sliding, using a model trained only by tapping onto a disk.
These results relied on using techniques to encourage generalization to tasks
beyond which the model was trained. We expect this is a generic problem in
practical applications of tactile sensing that deep learning will solve. A
video demonstrating the approach can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHrGsG9AHtsComment: Accepted in RAL and ICRA 2019. N. Lepora and J. Lloyd contributed
equally to this wor
Doctor of Philosophy
dissertationVirtual reality is becoming a common technology with applications in fields such as medical training, product development, and entertainment. Providing haptic (sense of touch) information along with visual and audio information can create an immersive vi
Annual Report 2019 - Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research
The Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research conducts materials research for future applications in, e.g., information technology. To this end, we make use of the various possibilities offered by our Ion Beam Center (IBC) for synthesis, modification, and analysis of thin films and nanostructures, as well as of the free-electron laser FELBE at HZDR for THz spectroscopy. The analyzed materials range from semiconductors and oxides to metals and magnetic materials. They are investigated with the goal to optimize their electronic, magnetic, optical as well as structural functionality. This research is embedded in the Helmholtz Association’s programme “From Matter to Materials and Life”. Seven publications from last year are highlighted in this Annual Report to illustrate the wide scientific spectrum of our institute.
After the scientific evaluation in the framework of the Helmholtz Programme-Oriented Funding (POF) in 2018 we had some time to concentrate on science again before end of the year a few of us again had to prepare for the strategic evaluation which took place in January 2020, which finally was also successful for the Institute
DenseTact-Mini: An Optical Tactile Sensor for Grasping Multi-Scale Objects From Flat Surfaces
Dexterous manipulation, especially of small daily objects, continues to pose
complex challenges in robotics. This paper introduces the DenseTact-Mini, an
optical tactile sensor with a soft, rounded, smooth gel surface and compact
design equipped with a synthetic fingernail. We propose three distinct grasping
strategies: tap grasping using adhesion forces such as electrostatic and van
der Waals, fingernail grasping leveraging rolling/sliding contact between the
object and fingernail, and fingertip grasping with two soft fingertips. Through
comprehensive evaluations, the DenseTact-Mini demonstrates a lifting success
rate exceeding 90.2% when grasping various objects, spanning items from 1mm
basil seeds and small paperclips to items nearly 15mm. This work demonstrates
the potential of soft optical tactile sensors for dexterous manipulation and
grasping
Sensors for Robotic Hands: A Survey of State of the Art
Recent decades have seen significant progress in the field of artificial hands. Most of the
surveys, which try to capture the latest developments in this field, focused on actuation and control systems of these devices. In this paper, our goal is to provide a comprehensive survey of the sensors for artificial hands. In order to present the evolution of the field, we cover five year periods starting at the turn of the millennium. At each period, we present the robot hands with a focus on their sensor systems dividing them into categories, such as prosthetics, research devices, and industrial end-effectors.We also cover the sensors developed for robot hand usage in each era. Finally, the period between 2010 and 2015 introduces the reader to the state of the art and also hints to the future directions in the sensor development for artificial hands
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