We believe that there is a missing piece in the design of the robots that we are currently using.
Our dream is to have robots that will assist humans in their daily activities to make their lives easier and more productive; at work, but also at home for cooking, cleaning, entertainment and many more.
Unfortunately, the reality remains that robots are still very clumsy and not yet ready for many tasks. Most companies focus on visual data and smart AI, which are very important for locating an object.
However, visual data is not enough to grasp, hold, and manipulate an object. Tactile data is required to solve this problem.
Only the sense of touch can tell you if you are: grasping the object with the right amount of force, if the object is slipping out of your hand, and so on.
The Missing Piece
We believe that there is a missing piece in the design of the robots that we are currently using.
Our dream is to have robots that will assist humans in their daily activities to make their lives easier and more productive; at work, but also at home for cooking, cleaning, entertainment and many more. Unfortunately, the reality remains that robots are still very clumsy and not yet ready for many tasks.
Most companies focus on Visual Data and Smart AI, which are very important for locating an object. However, visual data is not enough to grasp, hold, and manipulate an object. Tactile data is required to solve this problem. Only the sense of touch can tell you if you are: grasping the object with the right amount of force, if the object is slipping out of your hand, and so on.
The need for mass customisation assembly remains a challenging problem within assembly line factories. Flexibility to handle a variety of components and the ability to adapt, to manipulate small parts reliably and rapidly remains difficult.
Tactile sensors can improve the automation of small parts assembly by providing the robot with the ability to sense and respond to the physical characteristics of the parts, such as shape, size, and texture. This allows the robot to manipulate the parts more accurately and with greater precision, reducing the risk of damage to the parts or the equipment.
Additionally, tactile sensors can provide feedback on the force being applied, allowing the robot to adjust its grip or motion as needed to ensure proper assembly. This can also help increase the assembly process's speed and efficiency.
Due to a highly unstructured and inconsistent environment, the agricultural harvesting of delicate fruits is considered a complex problem.
Tactile sensors can help the automation of delicate fruit picking by providing detailed information about the physical properties of the fruit and the surrounding environment. These sensors can detect and measure various factors such as pressure, shape, size, texture and more.
By measuring the pressure, these sensors can help for example in detecting the ripeness of the fruit, allowing the robotic arm to pick only the ripe fruits and avoiding the unripe ones, increasing the quality of the final product.
Tactile sensors can also help the robot to detect the fruit's shape, size, and texture, allowing it to adapt its gripping strategy accordingly, avoiding crushing or damaging the fruit. This is particularly useful for delicate fruits that are easily bruised.
Overall, tactile sensors can provide valuable information about the physical properties of the fruit, which can help the automation of delicate fruit picking and sorting. This information can help the robot to pick the fruit more efficiently and effectively, increasing the quality of the final product, and reducing waste.
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The automation of picking orders in a warehouse environment remains a complex problem. Large warehouses contain millions of different products simultaneously, and these items must be stowed, stored, organised, and retrieved to fulfil a customer’s order.
The problems within the current warehouse picking automation operation can be established and are mostly due to:
- The texture of the object is inconsistent
- Object slippage or dropping
- Robot imprecision
Tactile sensors can help realizing the automation of warehouse piece picking by providing the robot with the ability to sense and respond to the physical characteristics of the items it is picking. For example, tactile sensors can be used to detect the shape and size of the item, its orientation, and its surface texture.
This information can be used to guide the robot's gripper to the correct location on the item and to adjust the grip force accordingly, ensuring a secure and stable hold on the item.
3D tactile sensing is a technology that can significantly improve the gaming experience by providing more accurate and realistic control over the game.
It allows the joystick of a gaming controller to detect and respond to subtle movements and pressure changes, providing a more immersive gaming experience.
3D tactile sensing technology offers a wide range of technical advantages for gaming controllers, such as high resolution, sensitivity and fast response time; this allows for more precise and realistic control over the game, and a more immersive gaming experience.
Tactile sensors can play a crucial role in optimising gear and apparel by providing valuable insights into the performance and comfort of the product. These sensors can measure various factors such as pressure distribution, flexibility and movement, and force feedback, allowing manufacturers to better understand how the product is being used and how to improve it.
For example, a customer of XELA Robotics has utilised uSkin sensors to optimise the ergonomics of a backpack. The uSkin sensors were used to measure the force vector distribution on the wearer's back whilst carrying, which allowed us to understand how the product was being used and how to improve it.
The data collected by the uSkin sensors helped our client produce a more comfortable and functional backpack for customers and increased the product's overall performance.
