Robots are going to do many things for us in the future. It’s essential for them to be able to properly handle unique object with the right amount of pressure. GelSight technology enables robots to gauge each object’s hardness and manipulate tools.
GelSight sensors are mounted on the grippers of robotic arms. Data from them are used to enable robots to judge the hardness of the surface they touch. As researchers explain, the system:
has colored lights at different angles, and then it has this reflective material, and by looking at the colors, the computer … can figure out the 3-D shape of what that thing is
As the researchers explain, by treating the tactile data as a point cloud, objects can be tracked in real-time.