From swept contact to pose: Probe-aware registration via complementary-shape docking

TL;DR

This paper introduces a calibration-free registration method for robotic manipulation that uses shape docking and probe geometry, achieving high accuracy without external sensors.

Contribution

It presents a novel contact registration approach reformulated as shape docking, integrating global search and local refinement for robust, precise pose estimation.

Findings

Achieved sub-0.04 mm and sub-0.4° accuracy in simulation.

Attained 0.42 mm and 3.75° accuracy on a robot, outperforming optical trackers.

Demonstrated robustness to pose noise and contact loss.

Abstract

Accurate registration between a prior model and the real scene is essential for high-precision robotic manipulation, yet optical methods suffer from long calibration chains, line-of-sight constraints, and fabrication errors. We propose a calibration-free alternative that reformulates contact registration as complementary-shape docking between the object and the probe's swept volume, explicitly accounting for probe geometry and leveraging both contact and non-contact evidence. Our solver integrates a global-to-local search via 3D FFT correlation over low-discrepancy SO(3) samples, then followed by continuous SE(3) refinement using Lie-algebra updates and analytic contact sensitivities. This pipeline yields efficient exploration and metric-grade convergence without fragile point correspondences. Simulation across free-form meshes achieved sub-0.04 mm and sub-0.4{\deg} accuracy and robustness to pose noise and contact loss. On a tooth-preparation robot, our method attained 0.42 mm and 3.75{\deg}, outperforming an optical tracker registration while requiring no external sensors. These results demonstrate a practical and precise registration strategy for surgical and industrial robots.