Abstract
This paper presents a new manipulation method, graspless manipulation. Graspless manipulation refers to operations in which a robot attempts to change the position and posture of an object without grasping it rigidly. In comparing with an ordinary method, pick-and-place, graspless manipulation is complex operation, but it requires less forces and less number of finger tips for manipulation. Typical examples of graspless manipulation which have been studied are pushing and tumbling.
The operations are classified by the contact states with environment, and then a new method of graspless manipulation, pivoting, is proposed. This is a same operation as a person moving furniture, which rotates an object around an appropriate vertex on the floor. In general, the operation of pivoting is complex 3D motion, but this paper shows that it can be divided to two 2D problems on some conditions. Then, this paper describes the mathematical analysis of pivoting, and then presents an experimental result.
