End-Effector Approach Flexibilization in a Surface Approximation Task Using a Bioinspired Tactile Sensing Module

The flexibilization of the end-effector orientation constraint is critical in various robotic tasks, in particular when approaching surfaces of unknown objects and when unexpected contacts occur. This paper presents the use of a bioinspired multimodal tactile sensing module for tasks requiring knowledge about the inclination of a surface. The advantage of this module is that it can detect the pitch of the surface even though the pitch of the end-effector that carries the module during exploration is kept constant. Such flexibilization is achieved due to the compliant nature of the sensing module, its inner organization and the placement of embedded sensors.