Optoelectronic soft tactile sensor for a stick-slip control

A method for gripper control, comprising:

• controlling a robotic gripper that includes an opto-electronic tactile sensor for stick-slip detection on a gripping surface, to grip an object and to lift the object;
• concurrent with controlling the robotic gripper, receiving at a computer resource a deflection data from the opto-electronic soft tactile sensor and computing, based on the deflection data, whether an incipient slip condition is present;
• and
• in response to a positive result of the computing, controlling the gripper to take a corrective action,
• wherein the opto-electronic tactile sensor for stick-slip detection comprises:
• a deformable body, comprising a gripping surface, configured as securable to and movable by a gripper to a position wherein the gripper surface contacts an object;
• and
• one or more optical waveguides positioned within the deformable body, wherein the one or more optical waveguides each includes a gap,
• wherein the deformable body is further configured to exhibit a lateral deflection responsive to receiving via the gripping surface a lateral force from the object, and
• the deformable body and the one or more optical waveguides are mutually configured to produce a corresponding change in the gap of the one or more optical waveguides responsive to the lateral deflection.

An activatable opto-electronic sensor comprising:

• a deformable body;
• and
• a first optical waveguide, supported by the deformable body, comprising, within the deformable body, a segment of a first optical fiber;
• and
• a second optical waveguide, supported by the deformable body, comprising, within the deformable body, a segment of a second optical fiber,
• wherein,
• the deformable body is configured with a clearance gap that is configured to provide a clearance for an activating operation, the clearance gap being configured to
• provide for an insertion of a cutting blade to a depth sufficient to cut the segment of the first optical fiber by a cut width that establishes a first gap, and
• provide for an another insertion of the cutting blade to a depth sufficient to cut the segment of the second optical fiber by a cut width that establishes a second gap.