Object Manipulation With Dextrous Robotic Hand Using Simulated Annealing

Abstract

An algorithm of object manipulation with multifingered dextrous hand is presented. The manipulation task (called object re-configuration problem) is stated as the following: given an initial grasp of the object find the motion´s trajectories of the fingertips to move the object to the desired configuration. The forces exerted at the contact points by the fingertips are determined first to ensure a stable grasp, then to manipulate the object. The objective of this paper is to develop a framework of a manipulation planner in the presence of obstacle constraints between the initial and goal configuration of the object. In this approach, fingertips can loose and regain contact with the object at some other planned next location. The controller devises a strategy where the environmental constraints (e.g. obstacles) can also be used as passive contact surfaces supporting the manipulation of the object. The algorithm can also be applied to the design of object reconfiguration with multiple agents including cooperating robots.