Robotic manipulation and sensing of deformable objects in domestic and industrial applications: a survey

TLDR

Robot manipulation and sensing of deformable objects is a growing field with applications in medicine, food handling, manufacturing, and domestic chores. This survey reviews recent work on robot manipulation and sensing of deformable objects. The authors classify approaches into four object categories and further subdivide them by the specific tasks performed on the deformable objects. The survey concludes with a discussion of current state‑of‑the‑art methods and proposes future research directions within the classification framework.

Abstract

We present a survey of recent work on robot manipulation and sensing of deformable objects, a field with relevant applications in diverse industries such as medicine (e.g. surgical assistance), food handling, manufacturing, and domestic chores (e.g. folding clothes). We classify the reviewed approaches into four categories based on the type of object they manipulate. Furthermore, within this object classification, we divide the approaches based on the particular task they perform on the deformable object. Finally, we conclude this survey with a discussion of the current state-of-the-art approaches and propose future directions within the proposed classification.