Haptic Contour Following with the Smart Suction Cup

The Smart Suction Cup is a tactile sensing and gripping system designed to enhance pick-and-place operations in industrial settings. While previous research has primarily focused on utilizing this technology for haptic search in cases of initial grasp failure, this study introduces a novel application: following contours. This function is already established as an important function for object recognition and grasp planning – substantiated by numerous works using other tactile sensors. Here, we explore contour following for a flow-based tactile sensor because it is not susceptible to visual occlusions nor tactile sensor wear. Experimental validation demonstrates the Smart Suction Cup’s ability to track edges at different speeds and navigate various planar contours, showcasing rapid and robust tracking of edges. Notably, the Smart Suction Cup can reliably operate at a speed of 3 cm/s. This is one step towards the adoption of the Smart Suction Cup for real-world applications.