Grasp Constraint Satisfaction for Object Manipulation using Robotic Hands

Abstract: For successful object manipulation with robotic hands, it is important to ensure that the object remains in the grasp at all times. In addition to grasp constraints associated with slipping and singular hand configurations, excessive rolling is an important grasp concern where the contact points roll off of the fingertip surface. Related literature focus only on a subset of grasp constraints, or assume grasp constraint satisfaction without providing guarantees of such a claim. In this paper, we propose a control approach that systematically handles all grasp constraints. The proposed controller ensures that the object does not slip, joints do not exceed joint angle constraints (e.g. reach singular configurations), and the contact points remain in the fingertip workspace. The proposed controller accepts a nominal manipulation control, and ensures the grasping constraints are satisfied to support the assumptions made in the literature. Simulation results validate the proposed approach.