Planning to Manipulate Heavy and Large Objects considering Transitions of Contact States

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a method for manipulating a large object that is difficult for a robot to lift, by supporting it with the environment without grasping it completely. We propose a method of motion planning based on the path obtained by constructing and searching a graph network whose elements are the states of contact that occur between the object and the environment. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method, we conducted experiments on actual machines for pulling a large object up to a worktable and rotating it on the worktable. From the experimental results, it was found that by adjusting the edge connections and the cost settings, it was possible to plan the path without placing a large load on the robot.