Optical Tactile Sensor

Optical tactile sensors, which use cameras to capture the deformation of a soft elastomer surface upon contact, aim to provide robots with a sense of touch comparable to humans. Current research emphasizes improving sensor design for dynamic manipulation (e.g., incorporating active rotation), enhancing grasp stability and precision through integrated soft grippers and sophisticated control strategies, and developing robust calibration and simulation methods to bridge the gap between simulated and real-world performance. These advancements are crucial for enabling robots to perform complex tasks requiring fine manipulation and dexterous interaction with objects, particularly in unstructured environments, with applications ranging from industrial automation to assistive robotics.