Automatic Calibration for an Open-source Magnetic Tactile Sensor

TL;DR

This paper introduces an open-source magnetic tactile sensor with an automatic calibration method that simplifies setup and enhances accessibility for robotic tactile sensing applications.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel automatic, in situ calibration procedure for a magnetic tactile sensor, reducing manual effort and making tactile sensing more accessible.

Findings

Calibration is automatic and in situ.

Sensor is immediately ready for use after calibration.

Design files and code are openly available.

Abstract

Tactile sensing can enable robots to perform complex, contact-rich tasks. Magnetic sensors offer accurate three-axis force measurements while using affordable materials. Calibrating such a sensor involves either manual data collection, or automated procedures with precise mounting of the sensor relative to an actuator. We present an open-source magnetic tactile sensor with an automatic, in situ, gripper-agnostic calibration method, after which the sensor is immediately ready for use. Our goal is to lower the barrier to entry for tactile sensing, fostering collaboration in robotics. Design files and readout code can be found at https://github.com/LowiekVDS/Open-source-Magnetic-Tactile-Sensor}{https://github.com/LowiekVDS/Open-source-Magnetic-Tactile-Sensor.