An anthropomorphic tactile sensor system with its applications in dexterous manipulations

We present the development of an anthropomorphic fingertip system that can be used in tactile sensing. These fingertips can detect force and vibrational modalities through force sensors and accelerometers. Among the advantages of this tactile system is its low cost and reliable construction. This fingertip was evaluated in grasping, manipulating and environment perception tasks. We present systems and methods that could be used to detect the presence or absence of contact, as well as for contact localization, incipient slip detection, classification of material stiffness, and contour tracking. Analysis of spatio-temporal data obtained by sensors provides enough information for object manipulation and environment perception.