Tactile recognition by probing: identifying a polygon on a plane

Abstract

An outstanding problem in model-based recognition of objects by robot systems is how the system should proceed when the acquired data are in8ufRcient to identify uniquely the model instance and model pose that best interpret the object. In this paper, we consider the situation in which some tactile data about the object are already available, but can be ambiguously interpreted. The problem is thus to acquire and process new tactile data in a sequential and eflicient manner, so that the object can be recognised and its location and orientation determined. An object model, in this initial analysis of the problem, is a polygon located on a plane; the case of planar objects present8 8ome in-teresting problems, and is also an important prelude to recognition of three-dimensional (polyhedral) objects. 1.