Active Exploration Using Contact And Noncontact Sensors: An Integrated System

In this paper we nzake an attempt to bring out the rationale that, for complex robotic applications, contact sensors can provide certain vital information quite easily as compared to non-contact sensors. We begin with describing and discussing our approach towards the development of a multi-sen,sory closed-loop active robotic exploration system for workspace characterization. The exploration system involves acquisition, processing, and integration of sensory inputs acquired from uision, poin,t laser range, tactile, and force/torque sensors. The exploration process results in building three-dimensional Half-space models of various polyhedral (convex and concave) objects encountered in the workspace. Subsequent to the process of building object models using active exploration mechanisms, the object models allow extraction of essential geometric information required for performing tasks such as object identification, grasping, and man ipiila t io n. Th e expe rim en tal resuh sh ow tli at vu rious geometrical descriptors that are required for model building, can be extracted quite reliably using the sensor specific exploratory mechanisms. 1. Introductioii to Multi-sensory Active Exploration Exploration is the process of deriving an environ