The research team, led by Dr. Fangyi Zhang, under the guidance of Distinguished Emeritus Professor Peter Corke, included contributions from research assistant Maceon Knopke and former research assistant and QUT master's student Liguo Zhu.
Dr. Zhang explained that robots are required to handle both soft and hard objects, ensuring they grasp them securely without applying too much pressure, which could cause damage. "To find out how hard the robot is squeezing an object we built a smart object that can measure this squeezing force, how hard it is squeezed and where," Dr Zhang said.
"The paper tackles the difficulty in assessing robotic grasping of 'compliant objects' - which are objects that have an ability to yield elastically when a force is applied. Things like fruit or other delicate items, where precise force application is critical to prevent slippage or damage."
Mr. Knopke added that the research introduced a novel approach to evaluate robotic grasping of compliant objects by employing sensor-equipped objects that detect and measure the force applied. "A test design was proposed to use sensors and magnets to measure where and how strongly something is being touched," Mr Knopke said.
He further noted that the design showed promising results, accurately identifying contact points and the amount of force during robotic tasks, demonstrating its potential for broader applications in evaluating robotic grasping performance. "The research included extensive testing, showcasing the effectiveness of the design in both single and multiple contact scenarios, paving the way for future enhancements," Mr Knopke said.
Dr. Zhang emphasized that this work addresses a critical issue in robotics - measuring stress or potential damage to objects during handling - by offering a direct assessment method through innovative sensor integration. "The findings open new avenues for developing more sensitive and accurate performance evaluation toolkits, aiding the development and improvement of robotic systems capable of handling delicate objects," Dr Zhang said.
He also pointed out that potential applications span various industries, including agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing, where robotic systems must manage fragile items safely. Additionally, Dr. Zhang mentioned that he and his co-authors provided open access to supplementary materials, such as CAD models and source codes, to encourage further research and innovation in this area. "This work was supported by the QUT Centre for Robotics 2022 ECR and MCR Funding Scheme and the GentleMAN Project funded by the Research Council of Norway, indicating strong international collaboration."
Research Report:Read the paper: Towards Assessing Compliant Robotic Grasping From First-Object Perspective via Instrumented Objects
