Grasp quality measures in the control of dextrous robot hands

In forming a grasp of a fragile object, there are two problems to be overcome. The first is to find a unique set of forces to apply to form the grasp. The second is not to apply forces so high that damage occurs to the object being held. In this paper, it is shown how the use of grasp quality measures, in the form of cost functions, can be used to achieve this and provide a set-point for a force controller for a robot hand. The theory of this is presented, along with some simulation work to confirm the behaviour. Finally the design of a hand under construction is discussed, on which it is hoped to implement these ideas