Safe grasping with multi-link fingers based on force sensing

Abstract

Grasping and handling delicate objects with robotic systems could be done by force closure method which needs a sophisticated control capable of providing stable grasping of the object with minimum possible normal force. It is a common practice among researchers to simplify dynamic of system by assumpssions such as permanent contact or incipient slip condition between object and gripper. Although such assumptions might be good in general grasping problem, where applying large contact forces is permissible, they are not valid in the case of safe grasping in which the contact forces should be minimal. This paper presents a new controller inspired by human method of grasping. The proposed controller, which only needs measurement of the contact forces, is then employed in conjunction with jacobian transpose method for grasping by multi-link fingers. Versatility of proposed algorithm is shown by means of several numerical examples as well as analytical developments.