Tactile force control feedback in a parallel jaw gripper

Carrying out an autonomous object prehension task needs some active interaction with the environment, which can only be done with sensory integration of the robot tools. A study of contact force control performed with tactile feedback in a low cost servo-controlled parallel jaw gripper is presented in this article. This gripper integrates matricial tactile sensors and proximity sensors. Considering the nonlinear nature of the control system, hybrid control strategies were used, inter-relating classical digital control strategies with heuristic rules and logic. Two control algorithms were studied and experimentally validated in a force-compliant mechanical system: a hybrid proportional controller; and a hybrid proportional integral and derivative controller