Manipulating with soft fingers: modeling contacts and dynamics

The authors present an attempt to model soft robot fingertips filled with powders or plastic fluids. They propose two rolling models, adapted from hot metal rolling and extrusion, and discuss the factors that affect the choice of appropriate models. The integration of energy losses in the dynamic equations of motion is then considered. Initial simulation studies have shown that soft fingertips can help stabilize the grasp and reduce the demands on the control system. The viscoplastic nature of the finger tips affects the dynamics of manipulation by dissipating energy. The coin snap problem is given as an example to demonstrate this effect.<>