Grasp stability analysis of multiple objects including contact surface geometry in 3D

Abstract

This paper analyzes grasp stability of multiple objects in three dimensions. The stability is investigated from the potential energy method in which the grasp is replaced with translational linear virtual spring model. A grasp stiffness matrix is analytically derived by including contact surface geometry (metric tensor, curvature and torsion) and contact condition (frictionless sliding contact and frictional rolling contact). The grasp stability is evaluated by using the eigenvalues of the matrix, and the displacement motion direction of the grasp is derived by its corresponding eigenvectors.