A multiplexed inductive tactile sensor for measuring location and force of contact with an external object includes sense and drive electronics and an array of sensels, each having a drive coil inductively coupled with a sense coil. The array has rows and columns of sensels. Drive coils in each column are electrically connected in series and driven by an AC constant current source through an analog demultiplexer. All sense coils in each row are electrically connected in series and the induced AC voltage across the row is fed to an AC amplifier through an analog multiplexer. The amplified AC voltage is then fed to the amplitude demodulator to generate a DC signal that is dependent on the inductive coupling factor between drive coil and sense coil of a sensel that is selected by being the intersection of the active current drive column and sense row. A first deformable conductive shield layer may be disposed adjacent to a first compressible dielectric layer disposed on first side of a PCB. A second conductive shield layer and a second dielectric layer may be disposed in a similar manner on a second side of the PCB. The controller electronics are configured to measure the induced AC voltage change due to a change in inductive coupling factor between drive coil and sense coil of a selected sensel in response to an external object imparting local mechanical compression onto the first conductive shield layer and the first compressible dielectric layer.

A system comprises a database; at least one hardware processor coupled with the database; and one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, receive at least one of sensory data from a robot and images from a camera, identify and build models of objects in an environment, wherein the model encompasses immutable properties of identified objects including mass and geometry, and wherein the geometry is assumed not to change, estimate the state including position, orientation, and velocity, of the identified objects, determine based on the state and model, potential configurations, or pre-grasp poses, for grasping the identified objects and return multiple grasping configurations per identified object, determine an object to be picked based on a quality metric, translate the pre-grasp poses into behaviors that define motor forces and torques, communicate the motor forces and torques to the robot in order to allow the robot to perform a complex behavior generated from the behaviors.

A robotic gripper (end effector) for an arm-type robotic system includes a hierarchical sensor architecture that utilizes a central data processing circuit to generate rich sensory tactile data in response to pressure, temperature, vibration and/or proximity sensor data generated by finger-mounted sensor groups in response to interactions between the robotic gripper and a target object during robotic system operations. The rich sensory tactile data is used to generate feedback signals that directly control finger actuators and/or tactile information that is supplied to the robotic system's control circuit. Sensor data processing circuits are configured to receive single-sensor data signals in parallel from the sensor groups, and to transmit corresponding finger-level sensor data signal on a serial bus/signal line to the central data processing circuit. Each sensor group and an associated sensor data processing circuit are disposed on a PCB structure and mounted on a contact portion of an associated gripper finger.

A tactile sensor includes a first layer formed of flexible material having an outer contact surface and an opposed inner interface surface, a second layer formed of substantially transparent flexible material arranged in substantially continuous contact with the flexible first layer at the interface surface, a camera, and reflective material. The first and second layers are configured so that pressure exerted by an object or objects contacting the outer contact surface causes at least localized distortion of the interface surface. The camera is arranged to capture an image of the interface surface through the flexible second layer. The reflective material is configured so that the appearance of at least part of the reflective material changes as the viewing angle changes and the reflective material is located between the layers at the interface surface.

A proximity sensor apparatus has a detection electrode that forms an electrostatic capacitance between the detection electrode and an object to be detected. The detection electrode is fitted to an electrode base plate. The detection section detects electrostatic capacitance based on output of the detection electrode. The electrode base plate is supported by a push-button switch. When the object to be detected approaches the detection electrode, the electrostatic capacitance changes. Approach of the object to be detected can be detected by a change in electrostatic capacitance. When the object to be detected contacts the detection electrode, the push-button switch is turned on. The push-button switch is turned on, and thereby contact of the object to be detected can be detected.

A tactile sensor, comprising: a cover provided so as to cover at least a portion of a base; a first force detection section configured to detect a force acting on the cover in a direction toward the base from the cover; and a second force detection section configured to detect the force acting on the cover in a case in which the cover is further displaced in the direction toward the base after the first force detection section has detected the force acting on the cover.

A tactile sensor includes a transmitting unit including a first surface that is capable of coming into contact with a gripping target object and a second surface that is a back surface of the first surface, an imaging unit that is capable of imaging an image of an object present on a first surface side of the transmitting unit from a second surface side, and a reflecting unit arranged on the second surface side of the transmitting unit and configured to reflect light from at least a part of a region of the transmitting unit and guide the light into an imaging view angle of the imaging unit.

Systems and methods for determining a pose of an object held by a flexible end effector of a robot are disclosed. A method of determining a pose of the object includes receiving tactile data from tactile sensors, receiving curvature data from curvature sensors, determining a plurality of segments of the flexible end effector from the curvature data, assigning a frame to each segment, determining a location of each point of contact between the object and the flexible end effector from the tactile data, calculating a set of relative transformations and determining a location of each point relative to one of the frames, generating continuous data from the determined location of each point, and providing the continuous data to a pose determination algorithm that uses the continuous data to determine the pose of the object.

Devices, systems, and methods for adjusting the high flex point of a deformable sensor are disclosed herein. A deformable sensor may include an enclosure comprising a housing and a deformable membrane coupled to an upper portion of the housing, where the enclosure is configured to be filled with a medium, a contact mechanism coupled to the housing and selectively adjustable such that adjusting a position of the contact mechanism causes a change in a location of a high flex point of the deformable membrane, and an internal sensor, disposed within the enclosure, having a field of view configured to be directed through the medium and toward a bottom surface of the deformable membrane, where the internal sensor is configured to output a deformation region within the deformable membrane when placed in contact an object.

A system and method for fabricating soft sensors that conform to arbitrary smooth geometries that include fabricating a top stretchable layer that includes a set of electrodes of soft sensors that are made of an elastic material. The system and method also include fabricating a bottom flexible layer that is composed of a thin sheet of suitable metal that is patterned using photolithography. The system and method further include bonding the top stretchable layer to the bottom flexible layer to form a sensor substrate.