Contact-based language for robotic manipulation planning

Abstract

This paper proposes a new approach to robotic manipulation planning based on the contact between a set of objects, robots and surfaces. We consider making or breaking contact as the most abstract, yet representative element of a manipulation task. Using this paradigm, a robotic manipulation planner has been developed. Given an environment with robots and objects, a manipulation graph is generated by a set of rules and the available geometrical information. Next, the object manipulation planning is formulated as a graph search problem. Paths on this graph divide a complex manipulation task into sub-tasks, followed by low-level path planning and controller assignment for each sub-task. By sequentially executing these controllers in a hybrid fashion, one achieves the overall manipulation task.