OPTIMAL GRASPING FORMULATIONS THAT RESULT IN HIGH-QUALITY AND ROBUST CONFIGURATIONS

This study develops a mathematical formulation that addresses robust a nd high quality grasps. Grasping quality is obtained by minimizing the entropy of the finger normal forces, and robustness is attained by mi nimizing the effects perturbations in the finger contact locations hav e on grasping quality variations. Robustness and quality are two disti nct yet interrelated mechanisms that affect the selection of finger co ntact locations when forming a grasping configuration. The mathematica l formulation has two weighing factors that convey the relative import ance of the robustness and the quality mechanisms. Computer simulation s of two and three finger grasps demonstrate that the new formulation can select contact locations that result in optimal grasping configura tions. The optimal conditions vary through the model weighing factors. Optimal grasps of four different objects are obtained when the user s eeks (i) robust configurations, (ii) high quality grasps, and (iii) gr asps for which robustness and quality are equal in importance. (C) 199 8 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.