An integrated approach towards robust grasping with tactile sensing

The majority of the works on grasping consider both object as well as robot hand parameters to be accurately known and do not take into account the constraints imposed by the robot hand. In this paper, a complete methodology is proposed that handles the grasping problem under a wide range of uncertainties. Initially, we search for an acceptable posture that provides robustness against positioning inaccuracies and maximizes the ability of the robot hand to exert forces on the object. Subsequently, in order to secure the grasp stability, we also deal with the determination of sufficient contact forces. Finally, an appropriate tactile sensor setup, mounted on the robot hand, allow us to reduce the magnitude of uncertainty regarding the grasping parameters. The efficiency of our approach is validated through extensive experimental paradigms using a 15 DoF DLR/HIT II robotic hand attached at the end effector of a 7 DoF Mitsubishi PA10 robotic manipulator.