A framework for compliant physical interaction

Although the grasp-task interplay in our daily life is unquestionable, very little research has addressed this problem in robotics. In order to fill the gap between the grasp and the task, we adopt the most successful approaches to grasp and task specification, and extend them with additional elements that allow to define a grasp-task link. We propose a global sensor-based framework for the specification and robust control of physical interaction tasks, where the grasp and the task are jointly considered on the basis of the task frame formalism and the knowledge-based approach to grasping. A physical interaction task planner is also presented, based on the new concept of task-oriented hand preshapes. The planner focuses on manipulation of articulated parts in home environments, and is able to specify automatically all the elements of a physical interaction task required by the proposed framework. Finally, several applications are described, showing the versatility of the proposed approach, and its suitability for the fast implementation of robust physical interaction tasks in very different robotic systems.