Classification of rigid and deformable objects using a novel tactile sensor

In this paper, we present a novel tactile-array sensor for use in robotic grippers based on flexible piezoresistive rubber. We start by describing the physical principles of piezoresistive materials, and continue by outlining how to build a flexible tactile-sensor array using conductive thread electrodes. A real-time acquisition system scans the data from the array which is then further processed. We validate the properties of the sensor in an application that classifies a number of household objects while performing a palpation procedure with a robotic gripper. Based on the haptic feedback, we classify various rigid and deformable objects. We represent the array of tactile information as a time series of features and use this as the input for a k-nearest neighbors classifier. Dynamic time warping is used to calculate the distances between different time series. The results from our novel tactile sensor are compared to results obtained from an experimental setup using a Weiss Robotics tactile sensor with similar characteristics. We conclude by exemplifying how the results of the classification can be used in different robotic applications.