# GelSight Wedge: Measuring High-Resolution 3D Contact Geometry with a Compact Robot Finger

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.08851 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.08851/

## Key facts

- Cited by 34 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 20 of its 30 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 16 Jun 2021.

## Builds on (most cited first, 20 of 20)

- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [Open3D: A Modern Library for 3D Data Processing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.09847/) (2018)
- [DIGIT: A Novel Design for a Low-Cost Compact High-Resolution Tactile Sensor with Application to In-Hand Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14679/) (2020)
- [More Than a Feeling: Learning to Grasp and Regrasp using Vision and Touch](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1805.11085/) (2018)
- [GelSlim: A High-Resolution, Compact, Robust, and Calibrated Tactile-sensing Finger](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.00628/) (2018)
- [Cable Manipulation with a Tactile-Reactive Gripper](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.02860/) (2019)
- [Manipulation by Feel: Touch-Based Control with Deep Predictive Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.04128/) (2019)
- [Active Clothing Material Perception using Tactile Sensing and Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.00574/) (2017)
- [Improved GelSight Tactile Sensor for Measuring Geometry and Slip](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.00922/) (2017)
- [OmniTact: A Multi-Directional High Resolution Touch Sensor](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.06965/) (2020)
- [Tactile Dexterity: Manipulation Primitives with Tactile Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.03236/) (2020)
- [Shape-independent Hardness Estimation Using Deep Learning and a GelSight Tactile Sensor](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1704.03955/) (2017)
- [Tactile Mapping and Localization from High-Resolution Tactile Imprints](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.10944/) (2019)
- [Maintaining Grasps within Slipping Bound by Monitoring Incipient Slip](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.13381/) (2018)
- [Soft-bubble: A highly compliant dense geometry tactile sensor for robot manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.02252/) (2019)
- [Tactile Regrasp: Grasp Adjustments via Simulated Tactile Transformations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.01940/) (2018)
- [From pixels to percepts: Highly robust edge perception and contour following using deep learning and an optical biomimetic tactile sensor](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.02941/) (2018)
- [Soft, Round, High Resolution Tactile Fingertip Sensors for Dexterous Robotic Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.09068/) (2020)
- [Learning the sense of touch in simulation: a sim-to-real strategy for vision-based tactile sensing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.02640/) (2020)
- [Exoskeleton-covered soft finger with vision-based proprioception and tactile sensing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.01287/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 34)

- [Aligning Cyber Space with Physical World: A Comprehensive Survey on Embodied AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.06886/) (2024)
- [See, Hear, and Feel: Smart Sensory Fusion for Robotic Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.03858/) (2022)
- [Dexterity from Touch: Self-Supervised Pre-Training of Tactile Representations with Robotic Play](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.12076/) (2023)
- [Transferable Tactile Transformers for Representation Learning Across Diverse Sensors and Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.13640/) (2024)
- [ReSkin: versatile, replaceable, lasting tactile skins](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.00071/) (2021)
- [See to Touch: Learning Tactile Dexterity through Visual Incentives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.12300/) (2023)
- [Neural feels with neural fields: Visuo-tactile perception for in-hand manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.13469/) (2023)
- [AnySkin: Plug-and-play Skin Sensing for Robotic Touch](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.08276/) (2024)
- [Visuotactile Affordances for Cloth Manipulation with Local Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.05108/) (2022)
- [TacVLA: Contact-Aware Tactile Fusion for Robust Vision-Language-Action Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.12665/) (2026)
- [Visual-Tactile Sensing for In-Hand Object Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.14498/) (2023)
- [FingerSLAM: Closed-loop Unknown Object Localization and Reconstruction from Visuo-tactile Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.07997/) (2023)
- [GelSight Svelte: A Human Finger-shaped Single-camera Tactile Robot Finger with Large Sensing Coverage and Proprioceptive Sensing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.10885/) (2023)
- [VT-Refine: Learning Bimanual Assembly with Visuo-Tactile Feedback via Simulation Fine-Tuning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.14930/) (2025)
- [Controllable Visual-Tactile Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.03051/) (2023)
- [Sensor-Invariant Tactile Representation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.19638/) (2025)
- [Tactile DreamFusion: Exploiting Tactile Sensing for 3D Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.06785/) (2024)
- [GelSLAM: A Real-time, High-Fidelity, and Robust 3D Tactile SLAM System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.15990/) (2025)
- [eFlesh: Highly customizable Magnetic Touch Sensing using Cut-Cell Microstructures](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.09994/) (2025)
- [LeTac-MPC: Learning Model Predictive Control for Tactile-reactive Grasping](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.04934/) (2024)
- [Reactive In-Air Clothing Manipulation with Confidence-Aware Dense Correspondence and Visuotactile Affordance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.03889/) (2025)
- [FusionSense: Bridging Common Sense, Vision, and Touch for Robust Sparse-View Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.08282/) (2024)
- [GelBelt: A Vision-based Tactile Sensor for Continuous Sensing of Large Surfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.06263/) (2025)
- [Enhance Vision-based Tactile Sensors via Dynamic Illumination and Image Fusion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.00017/) (2025)
- [TouchAnything: Diffusion-Guided 3D Reconstruction from Sparse Robot Touches](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.08945/) (2026)
- [Towards Design and Development of an ArUco Markers-Based Quantitative Surface Tactile Sensor](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.08398/) (2023)
- [Tactile Active Inference Reinforcement Learning for Efficient Robotic Manipulation Skill Acquisition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.11287/) (2023)
- [A Modularized Design Approach for GelSight Family of Vision-based Tactile Sensors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.14739/) (2025)
- [Monocular Reconstruction of Neural Tactile Fields](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.12508/) (2026)
- [ViTac-Tracing: Visual-Tactile Imitation Learning of Deformable Object Tracing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.18784/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Vision-based tactile sensors have the potential to provide important contact geometry to localize the objective with visual occlusion. However, it is challenging to measure high-resolution 3D contact geometry for a compact robot finger, to simultaneously meet optical and mechanical constraints. In this work, we present the GelSight Wedge sensor, which is optimized to have a compact shape for robot fingers, while achieving high-resolution 3D reconstruction. We evaluate the 3D reconstruction under different lighting configurations, and extend the method from 3 lights to 1 or 2 lights. We demonstrate the flexibility of the design by shrinking the sensor to the size of a human finger for fine manipulation tasks. We also show the effectiveness and potential of the reconstructed 3D geometry for pose tracking in the 3D space.