Tootfinder

Gentle Object Retraction in Dense Clutter Using Multimodal Force Sensing and Imitation Learning
Dane Brouwer, Joshua Citron, Heather Nolte, Jeannette Bohg, Mark Cutkosky
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19476

Gentle Object Retraction in Dense Clutter Using Multimodal Force Sensing and Imitation Learning
Dense collections of movable objects are common in everyday spaces -- from cabinets in a home to shelves in a warehouse. Safely retracting objects from such collections is difficult for robots, yet people do it easily, using non-prehensile tactile sensing on the sides and backs of their hands and arms. We investigate the role of such sensing for training robots to gently reach into constrained clutter and extract objects. The available sensing modalities are (1) "eye-in-hand" vision, (2) propri…