Visual-Tactile Sensing Device for Use in Robotic Gripper

Abstract

A robotic gripper includes a number of fingers useful to grasp a work piece. Each finger can include a visual-tactile contact pad useful to provide contact information related to the work piece when it is grasped by the fingers. The hand and fingers of the robotic gripper can include one or more optical elements such as mirrors/lenses/etc which aid in transmitting optical information from the pad to a camera. A single image sensor can be used to capture the optical data originating from the different pads. The different pads can be configured to project unique wavelengths to permit simultaneous imaging by the single image sensor. The optical paths can be configured to image on different portions of the image sensor to permit simultaneous imaging. In still other forms a shutter or similar device can be used to alternate projection of image data onto the image sensor from the different pads.

Description

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a robotic visual tactile device having an end effector that includes a plurality of effectors each structured to engage a work piece, the robotic visual tactile device also including an image sensor structured to capture visual data related to engagement of the plurality of effectors to the work piece, the robotic visual tactile device having: a plurality of visual-tactile contact pads wherein a visual-tactile contact pad of the plurality of visual-tactile contact pads is integrated with each effector of the plurality of effectors; andan optical path associated with each of the visual-tactile contact pads integrated with its associated effector, the optical path connecting the visual-tactile contact pads with the image sensor;wherein the image sensor is useful to generate visual data associated with each of the optical paths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is a single sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the optical paths include at least one mirror.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the optical paths include a plurality of mirrors.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a separate optical path is defined between the work piece and the image sensor independent of each of the visual-tactile contact pads, and wherein the image sensor is useful to generate visual data associated with each of the optical paths and the separate optical path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each effector of the plurality of effectors is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein each optical path is structured to move with movement of each effector, and wherein each optical path is structured to remain connected with the image sensor at the first position and the second position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, which further includes a controller structured to regulate operation of the robotic visual tactile device, and wherein the controller is structured to regulate operation of the image sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the visual-tactile contact pads of the plurality of visual-tactile contact pads is constructed to project light at wavelengths distinct from each other such that the image sensor is capable of distinguishing light data from the respective visual-tactile contact pads.

9. A method comprising: moving a plurality of effectors of a robotic end effector into engagement with a work piece, each of the plurality of effectors having a visual-tactile contact pad structured to deform upon contact with the work piece and provide optical date representative of a contour of the work piece;conveying optical data associated with each of the visual-tactile contact pads via an optical path connected between each of the visual-tactile contact pads and the image sensor; andcapturing the optical data conveyed via the optical path with the image sensor for each of the visual-tactile contact pads.

10. The method of claim 9, which further includes capturing image data with the image sensor independent of the visual-tactile contact pads.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the capturing image data occurs in a direct optical path located between a first optical path associated with a first visual-tactile contact pad of the plurality of visual-tactile contact pads and a second optical path associated with a second visual-tactile contact pad of the plurality of visual-tactile contact pads.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the conveying includes transmitting light at separate frequencies from each of the visual-tactile contact pads such that the capturing includes capturing light at the separate frequencies at the image sensor from each of the visual-tactile contact pads.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the conveying includes reflecting light projecting from the visual-tactile contact pad along the optical path using a plurality of mirrors.

14. The method of claim 9, which further includes maintaining the optical path during the moving from a first position to a second position.

15. An apparatus comprising: a robotic gripper having multiple fingers each of the fingers having a visual-tactile contact pad structured to deform upon contact with a work piece and project a light corresponding to a contour of the work piece when contacted, the robotic gripper including a single image sensor structured to receive the light projected from visual-tactile contact pad when illuminated by a light source, the single image sensor capable of imaging the contour from each of the visual-tactile contact pads when light.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the light projected from a first visual-tactile contact pad is at a different wavelength than the light projected from a second visual-tactile contact pad.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the image sensor is structured to receive light projected from the work piece without passing through any visual-tactile contact pad.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the fingers of the multiple fingers is structured to be moveable, and wherein the robotic gripper is structured to maintain an optical path from the visual-tactile contact pad to the image sensor during movement of the at least one of the fingers.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, which further includes plurality of mirrors associated with the optical paths from each of the visual-tactile contact pads to the image sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the image sensor is positioned to receive light directly from the work piece in an optical path located between a first finger and a second finger.