RoTipBot: Robotic Handling of Thin and Flexible Objects using Rotatable Tactile Sensors

Jiaqi Jiang, Xuyang Zhang, Daniel Fernandes Gomes, Thanh-Toan Do, Shan Luo

Keywords: Tactile sensing, tactile robotics, robotic handling, deformable object manipulation

TL;DR: RoTipBot introduces rotatable vision-based tactile sensors that enable simultaneous multi-layer grasping and counting of thin, flexible objects.

Abstract: This work introduces RoTipBot, a novel robotic system for handling thin, flexible objects. Different from previous works that are limited to singulating them using suction cups or soft grippers, RoTipBot can count multiple layers and then grasp them simultaneously in a single grasp closure. Specifically, we first develop a vision-based tactile sensor named RoTip that can rotate and sense contact information around its tip. Equipped with two RoTip sensors, RoTipBot rolls and feeds multiple layers of thin, flexible objects into the centre between its fingers, enabling effective grasping. Moreover, we design a tactile-based grasping strategy that uses RoTip's sensing ability to ensure both fingers maintain secure contact with the object while accurately counting the number of fed objects. The results show that RoTipBot not only achieves a higher success rate but also grasps and counts multiple layers simultaneously. The success of RoTipBot paves the way for future research in object manipulation using mobilised tactile sensors.

Submission Number: 18