Edge Tracing Manipulation of Clothes Based on Different Gripper Types

Problem statement: Edge tracing is considered important for deformable object manipulation in order to spread and reveal the original shape of an object before it can be sorted. It is important in unfolding clothes to reveal its original state during sorting. Tracing in this study context involved tracing the clothes edge, with the robot arm movement based on feedback from sensors. Development of special tools for deformable object manipulation is also considered to be important as well and must consider the properties of the deformable objects. Approach: This study introduced three robotic grippers developed to handle clothes for home service robots. For each gripper, a unique tracing algorithm was developed to fully utilize the capability of the gripper in edge tracing. Results: Each developed gripper had been tested and edge tracing algorithms have been developed to suit the gripper’s capabilities. Experimental results demonstrated the uniqueness of each gripper and the effectiveness of the tracing algorithm developed. Conclusion: The results showed that the grippers are capable of tracing the edge of clothes and reveal the second corner of the clothes. Inchworm gripper is proven to be the most promising gripper for clothes manipulation.