Planning grasp strategies for multifingered robot hands

The problem of planning the interaction of multifingered robot hand with objects in its environment is considered. A sensor-based planning methodology is required in this domain, and consequently, it is concluded that incremental planning mechanisms are required to permit frequent sensory registration. The formulation of incremental planning techniques or behaviors that generate grasping strategies is addressed. Finger, hand, and grasp quality metrics are discussed, followed by a detailed description of an important grasping behavior: wrench closure and registration. A means of constructing composite grasping behaviors that address general manipulation tasks is proposed. Examples illustrating its performance on simple grasping tasks are included