ロボット操作用の耐久性のある視覚ベース触覚指先センサ
A Durable Vision-Based Tactile Fingertip for Robotic Manipulation
摩耗や繰り返し荷重に弱い既存の視覚ベース触覚センサに対し、保護フィルムと交換可能なカートリッジを備えた耐久性の高い指先センサを開発し、加速試験で従来比2桁以上の耐久性向上を実証した。
著者: F. Richard Cottrell, Megha H. Tippur, Edward H. Adelson
分類: cs.RO
原文アブストラクト
Currently available commercial vision-based tactile sensors provide rich contact information but remain vulnerable to abrasion and repeated concentrated loading, limiting their use in demanding robotic applications. This work presents a durable tactile fingertip comprising a soft silicone gel with a nonpigmented, textured, thin thermoplastic-polyurethane protective film and a replaceable sensing cartridge. Durability was evaluated using two accelerated laboratory procedures: a rotating-drum sanding test and a repetitive probe test applying 39.2 N (4.0 kgf) at 45 cycles per minute. Under the defined sanding conditions, the developed sensor reached the protective-film rupture endpoint after approximately 2-3 hours. During repetitive probe testing, all nine developed sensors remained functionally usable when testing was discontinued: seven after 5 days, one after 6 days, and one after 8 days. Commercial GelSight Mini and DIGIT specimens exhibited initial surface-film rupture after approximately 24-30 seconds of sanding and 25-35 minutes of repetitive loading. Damage to the developed sensor progressed gradually and produced little interference with tactile imaging at the test endpoints. These observations establish durability improvements of more than two orders of magnitude under the defined accelerated conditions. Combining increased durability, gradual degradation, and rapid cartridge replacement offers a practical approach to maintainable vision-based tactile sensing for demanding robotic applications.