DenseTact-Mini: An Optical Tactile Sensor for Grasping Multi-Scale Objects From Flat Surfaces

09/16/2023

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by   Won Kyung Do, et al.

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Dexterous manipulation, especially of small daily objects, continues to pose complex challenges in robotics. This paper introduces the DenseTact-Mini, an optical tactile sensor with a soft, rounded, smooth gel surface and compact design equipped with a synthetic fingernail. We propose three distinct grasping strategies: tap grasping using adhesion forces such as electrostatic and van der Waals, fingernail grasping leveraging rolling/sliding contact between the object and fingernail, and fingertip grasping with two soft fingertips. Through comprehensive evaluations, the DenseTact-Mini demonstrates a lifting success rate exceeding 90.2 basil seeds and small paperclips to items nearly 15mm. This work demonstrates the potential of soft optical tactile sensors for dexterous manipulation and grasping.