Efficient edge detection from tactile data

A real-time tactile image processing algorithm for edge contact is presented in this paper. Based on basic elasticity results, closed-form solutions for calculating contact force and local contact geometries (i.e., location and orientation of the line of contact) from the first three moments of a tactile image are derived. Computational complexity of the proposed algorithm and those of the previous approaches are compared, and passive tactile sensing experiments are performed. It is shown that the proposed algorithm has the advantage of persevering force information and is more consistent and computationally efficient.