Precise Manipulation of Fabric Part

This presentation introduces a dual-arm manipulator system with novel robotic end-effectors for precise manipulation of fabric parts. Fabrics are thin and flexible, so they easily deform and wrinkle even under their own weight. The deformable nature of the fabrics makes precise manipulation a challenge. In order to keep a fabric part flat without wrinkles, an appropriate tension needs to be applied to the fabric, or the whole area of the fabric needs to be supported. The proposed precise fabric manipulation system consists of a dual manipulator with novel end-effectors, which are used to control the tension of a grasped fabric part and a vision system which can detect the topmost fabric of fabric stacks. Using the proposed novel end-effectors, the dua-arm manipulator system can bimanually hold a fabric part and control the tension of the fabric to keep it flattened. Pick-and-place of fabric parts from a stack was conducted, and the experimental results show the performance of the developed system for practical operation requiring precise manipulation.