Planning quasi-static motions for re-configuring objects with a multi-fingered robotic hand

We address the global motion planning aspects of dextrous manipulation by a multifingered robotic hand. The specific task we address is: starting from a given initial grasp of a 3D object O, find feasible quasi-static trajectories (rolling/sliding motions and forces) for the fingertips to move O to a desired final configuration. We call this the re-configuration problem. Our planner is based on a two-level algorithm combining a graph search on the configuration space of the object and a local planner that solves for instantaneous quasi-static motions of the entire manipulation system. The planner is used for several complex re-configuration tasks-for polyhedral and smooth objects. These experiments show the practicality of our approach