LiteGrasp: A Light Robotic Grasp Detection via Semi-Supervised Knowledge Distillation

Grasping detection from single images in robotic applications poses a significant challenge. While contemporary deep learning techniques excel, their success often hinges on large annotated datasets and intricate network architectures. In this letter, we present LiteGrasp, a novel semi-supervised lightweight framework purpose-built for grasp detection, eliminating the necessity for exhaustive supervision and intricate networks. Our approach uses a limited amount of labeled data via a knowledge distillation method, introducing HRGrasp-Net, a model with high efficiency for extracting features and largely based on HRNet. We incorporate pseudo-label filtering within a mutual learning model set within a teacher-student paradigm. This enhances the transference of data from images with labels to those without. Additionally, we introduce the streamlined Lite HRGrasp-Net, acting as the student network which gains further distillation knowledge using a multi-level fusion cascade originating from HRGrasp-Net. Impressively, LiteGrasp thrives with just a fraction (4.3%) of HRGrasp-Net's original model size, and with limited labeled data relative to total data (25% ratio) across all benchmarks, regularly outperforming solely supervised and semi-supervised models. Taking just 6 ms for execution, LiteGrasp showcases exceptional accuracy (99.99% and 97.21% on Cornell and Jacquard data sets respectively), as well as an impressive 95.3% rate of success in grasping when deployed using a 6DoF UR5e robotic arm. These highlights underscore the effectiveness and efficiency of LiteGrasp for grasp detection, even under resource-limited conditions.