Tac3D: A Novel Vision-based Tactile Sensor for Measuring Forces Distribution and Estimating Friction Coefficient Distribution

TL;DR

The paper introduces Tac3D, a vision-based tactile sensor that accurately measures 3D contact forces and friction distribution, enabling improved object manipulation and grasping strategies.

Contribution

It presents a novel, low-cost, and efficient 3D tactile sensing method using virtual binocular vision for real-time force and friction distribution measurement.

Findings

Successful 3D force distribution measurement

Effective estimation of friction coefficient distribution

Potential for enhanced grasping action planning

Abstract

The importance of force perception in interacting with the environment was proven years ago. However, it is still a challenge to measure the contact force distribution accurately in real-time. In order to break through this predicament, we propose a new vision-based tactile sensor, the Tac3D sensor, for measuring the three-dimensional contact surface shape and contact force distribution. In this work, virtual binocular vision is first applied to the tactile sensor, which allows the Tac3D sensor to measure the three-dimensional tactile information in a simple and efficient way and has the advantages of simple structure, low computational costs, and inexpensive. Then, we used contact surface shape and force distribution to estimate the friction coefficient distribution in contact region. Further, combined with the global position of the tactile sensor, the 3D model of the object with friction coefficient distribution is reconstructed. These reconstruction experiments not only demonstrate the excellent performance of the Tac3D sensor but also imply the possibility to optimize the action planning in grasping based on the friction coefficient distribution of the object.