Challenges in developing soft tactile sensors for robots that detect incipient slip

This paper focuses on tactile sensors capable of detecting incipient slip. First, a review on the state of the art in incipient slip detection technologies is conducted. Next, we explain tactile perception of the human hands, emphasising on the incipient slip sensing. The mechanism of incipient slip is explained via displacement and acceleration results of a finite element analysis (FEA) conducted on a biological fingertip. Next, an example for the usage of incipient slip detection to manipulate objects is presented. Later, the requirements for a robotic tactile system capable of detecting incipient slip is stated. Finally, challenges in developing sensors for tactile perception particularly in the application of incipient slip detection is presented.

I Introduction

Robots to work safely in unstructured environments such as our homes, offices or restaurants will require not only audio visual sensing but also tactile sensation. Artificial tactile sensor systems of robot's should have the ability to gather tactile data needed for object avoidance, object classification, material classification and object manipulation. Tactile data from fingertips is required for dexterous manipulations. Because the human hand is better able to manipulate objects than animal paws [1], human hands and its tactile system can be taken as a baseline for developing robotic tactile systems.