Multi-contact stances planning for multiple agents

We propose a generalized framework together with an algorithm to plan a discrete sequence of multi-contact stances that brings a set of collaborating robots and manipulated objects from a specified initial configuration to a desired goal through non-gaited acyclic contacts with their environment or among each other. The broad range of applications of this generic algorithm includes legged locomotion planning, whole-body manipulation planning, dexterous manipulation planning, as well as any multi-contact-based motion planning problem that might combine several of these sub-problems. We demonstrate the versatility of our planner through example scenarios taken from the aforementioned classes of problems in virtual environments.