Increasing Perceptual Skills of Robots Through Proximal Force/Torque Sensors: A Study for the Implementation of Active Compliance on the iCub Humanoid Robot

This thesis proposes an effective methodology for enhancing the perceptual capabilities and achieving interaction control of the iCub humanoid robot. The method is based on the integration of measurements from different sensors (force/torque, inertial and tactile sensors) distributed along the robot’s kinematic chain. Humanoid robots require a substantial amount of sensor information to create their own representations of the surrounding environment. Tactile perception is of primary importa...