13 accepted papers
We report a new full-optical pretouch dual-modal and dual-mechanism (PDM2) sensor based on an air-coupled fiber-tip surface micromachined optical ultrasound transducer (SMOUT). Compared to ring-shaped piezoelectric acoustic receivers in previous PDM<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
Transparent household objects present a challenge for domestic service robots, since neither regular cameras nor RGB-D cameras can provide accurate points for shape reconstruction. The new type of pretouch dual-modality distance and material sensor (PDM<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/Mat
Micro scanning mirrors (MSMs) extend the range and field of view of LiDARs, medical imaging devices, and laser projectors. However, a new class of soft-hinged MSMs contains out-of-plane translation in addition to the 2 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http:
We report a new material and structure mapping (MSM) algorithm to assist robotic grasping and manipulation. Building on our new sensor development, the algorithm has four main components: 1) detection of time-of-flight (ToF) durations for the dual modalities of optoacoustic (OA) and pulse-echo ultra…
Fingertip-mounted pretouch sensors are very useful for robotic grasping. In this paper, we report a new (G3) dual-modal and dual sensing mechanisms (DMDSM) pretouch sensor for near-distance ranging and material sensing, which is based on pulse-echo ultrasound (US) and optoacoustics (OA). Different f…
Soft robots have intrinsic advantages in interaction with humans or complex environments for actual applications, during which various external disturbances (e.g., external contact or collision) are inevitable. They show remarkable abilities in complicated tasks due to their easily deformable bodies
To continuously improve robotic grasping, we are interested in developing a contactless fingertip-mounted sensor for near-distance ranging and material sensing. Previously, we demonstrated a dual-modal and dual sensing mechanisms (DMDSM) pretouch sensor prototype based on pulse-echo ultrasound and o…
To address the communication and ranging challenges caused by underwater environment, we design dual modal devices for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The dual-modal design builds upon a co-axial ultrasonic and green laser beams which leverage different signal diverging patterns and different…
To improve robotic grasping, we are interested in developing a new non-contact fingertip-mounted sensor for near-distance ranging and material sensing. Here we report new progress in combining direct pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic effects in sensor design to deal with optically and/or acoust…
Soft fluid-driven robots have great potential for safe interaction with humans, and for adaptation to complex and unpredictable environments with the compliance brought about by soft materials. However, the respective complex structure and massive use of nonlinear and viscoelastic soft materials, an
We report the feasibility study of a new optoacoustic sensor for both near-distance ranging and material thickness classification for robotic grasping. It is based on the optoacoustic effect where focused laser pulses are used to generate wideband ultrasound signals in the target. With a much smalle…
This paper reports the development of a compact optical-acoustic frontend module for underwater communication and ranging. The module is enabled by a new water-immersible MEMS scanning mirror (WIMSM). It is capable of transmitting, receiving and steering co-centered and co-directional laser and ultr…
We report the feasibility study of a new acoustic and optical bi-modal distance & material sensor for robotic grasping. The new sensor is designed to be mounted on the robot fingertip to provide last-moment perception before contact happens. It is based on both pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic…