RoboCAP: Robotic Classification and Precision Pouring of Diverse Liquids and Granular Media with Capacitive Sensing

Liquids and granular media are pervasive throughout human environments, yet remain particularly challenging for robots to sense and manipulate precisely. In this work, we present a systematic approach at integrating capacitive sensing within robotic end effectors to enable robust sensing and precise manipulation of liquids and granular media. We introduce the parallel-jaw RoboCAP Gripper with embedded capacitive sensing arrays that enable a robot to directly sense the materials and dynamics of liquids inside of diverse containers, including some visually opaque. When coupled with model-based control, we demonstrate that the proposed system enables a robotic manipulator to achieve state-of-the-art precision pouring accuracy for a range of substances with varying dynamics properties. Code, designs, and build details are available on the project website.

SkinGrip: An Adaptive Soft Robotic Manipulator with Capacitive Sensing for Whole-Limb Bathing Assistance

Robotics presents a promising opportunity for enhancing bathing assistance, potentially to alleviate labor shortages and reduce care costs, while offering consistent and gentle care for individuals with physical disabilities. However, ensuring flexible and efficient cleaning of the human body poses challenges as it involves direct physical contact between the human and the robot, and necessitates simple, safe, and effective control. In this paper, we introduce a soft, expandable robotic manipulator with embedded capacitive proximity sensing arrays, designed for safe and efficient bathing assistance. We conduct a thorough evaluation of our soft manipulator, comparing it with a baseline rigid end effector in a human study involving 12 participants across $96$ bathing trails. Our soft manipulator achieves an an average cleaning effectiveness of 88.8% on arms and 81.4% on legs, far exceeding the performance of the baseline. Participant feedback further validates the manipulator's ability to maintain safety, comfort, and thorough cleaning.