Benchmarking grasping and manipulation: Properties of the Objects of Daily Living

This paper presents a number of concepts related to benchmarking and evaluation of grasping and manipulation. A set of “Objects of Daily Living” based on a review of common domestic objects for manipulation as identified from sources in the literature is put forward, along with the physical properties of sample objects in those categories. Next, an experimental evaluation of the coefficient of static friction between these objects and a number of common household surfaces is performed. A key failure mode in unstructured object grasping occurs when the manipulator applies large contact forces that move the object out of grasp range. These results therefore give insight into the likelihood of a target object remaining in place to be successfully grasped in the presence of contact forces from the robot arm. This paper also presents a new classification of the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), putting forth a standard categorization for the application of robotics in human environments. These topics and results have a number of uses related to benchmarking and performance evaluation in robotic manipulation, assistive technology, and prosthetics.