A model for estimating the value of the applied pressure based on the analysis of tactile sensor signals using machine learning methods

Currently, in the field of developing sensing systems for robotic means, one of the urgent tasks is the problem of interpreting the data of tactile pressure and proximity sensors. As a rule, the solution to this problem is complicated both by the dependence of the indicators of tactile sensors on the type of object's material and by the design features of each individual device. In this study, an analysis of existing works devoted to the interpretation of the readings of tactile sensor devices was carried out. According to the analysis results a machine learning model was proposed that allows estimating the amount of pressure applied to the surface of a tactile pressure sensor of a capacitive type. The architecture of the proposed model includes two key blocks of data analysis, the first one is aimed at recognizing the type of interaction object's material and the second is devoted to the direct assessment of the magnitude of the pressure applied to the sensor. Several machine learning methods were considered as supporting models for processing and interpreting the signals of this device: linear regression, polynomial regression, decision tree regression, partial least squares regression and a fully connected feedforward neural network.