A constrained optimization framework for compliant underactuated grasping

This study focuses on the design and analysis of underactuated robotic hands that use tendons and compliant joints to enable passive mechanical adaptation during grasping tasks. We use a quasistatic equilibrium formulation to predict the stability of a given grasp. This method is then used as the inner loop of an optimization algorithm that can find a set of actuation mechanism parameters that optimize the stability measure for an entire set of grasps. We discuss two possible approaches to design optimization using this framework, one using exhaustive search over the parameter space, and the other using a simplified gripper construction to cast the problem to a form that is directly solvable using well-established optimization methods. Computations are performed in 3-D, allow arbitrary geometry of the grasped objects and take into account frictional constraints. This paper was presented at the IFToMM/ASME International Workshop on Underactuated Grasping (UG2010), 19 August 2010, Montréal, Canada.