Issues in low-dimensional sensing and feedback [in robot grippers]

A discussion is presented of problems of multisensory integration and feedback in a robot gripper. Various contact and noncontact sensors are described and it is shown how a number of such `low-dimensional´ sensors are integrable in an advanced robot gripper. The resulting gripper uses only a few data and power supply connections out of the wrist. Feedback structures are outlined with the main emphasis on different alternatives in force-torque feedback; the various approaches proposed in the literature are considered in more detail. The problem of sensor data fusion, including the redundancy problem, is briefly explained