Active contour following to explore object shape with robot touch

In this work, we present an active tactile perception approach for contour following based on a probabilistic framework. Tactile data were collected using a biomimetic fingertip sensor. We propose a control architecture that implements a perception-action cycle for the exploratory procedure, which allows the fingertip to react to tactile contact whilst regulating the applied contact force. In addition´ the fingertip is actively repositioned to an optimal position to ensure accurate perception. The method is trained off-line and then the testing performed on-line based on contour following around several different test shapes. We then implement object recognition based on the extracted shapes. Our active approach is compared with a passive approach, demonstrating that active perception is necessary for successful contour following and hence shape recognition.