Abstract
Signal processing for slip and contact sensing for a tactile sensor is presented. Small strips of piezoelectric film (PVDF) were embedded in a rubber thimble filled with silicon rubber. The sensor detected the vibration caused by slip and contact. A short impulsive vibration was generated when the sensor made contact with an object, and a random noise-like signal was observed when slip occurred at the contact point. Slip was differentiated from contact by counting the number of peaks in the waveform within a 6.4 ms interval. This non-linear filtering method was shown to be more effective than ordinary frequency domain filtering. Several experiments using the two-fingered robotic hand are presented to demonstrate the sensitivity of contact and slip sensing.
