'SwingBot' Learns How to Stably Handle and Swing Objects

Swinging an object is challenging for robots because it requires knowledge about the object's center of mass and friction. "SwingBot" from MIT  can learn these properties using tactile gestures like shaking and tilting. The robot doesn't use cameras or vision methods; instead, its grippers use GelSight tactile sensors that measure the pose and force distribution of the object. SwingBot is able to predict the swing angle achieved by a robot performing dynamic swing-up manipulations on a previously unseen object.