Surface-Based Manipulation with Modular Foldable Robots

TL;DR

This paper introduces surface-based manipulation strategies using flat surfaces as end-effectors, enabling adaptable and stable manipulation of various objects without traditional grasping, by adjusting surface position and orientation.

Contribution

It presents a novel manipulation approach that diverges from classical grasping, allowing manipulation of diverse objects through surface adjustments and closed-loop control.

Findings

Effective translation, rotation, and flipping of objects using flat surfaces.

Ability to manipulate deformable and irregularly shaped objects.

Provides a new perspective for complex manipulation tasks.

Abstract

Intelligence lies not only in the brain (decision-making processes) but in the body (physical morphology). The morphology of robots can significantly influence how they interact with the physical world, crucial for manipulating objects in real-life scenarios. Conventional robotic manipulation strategies mainly rely on finger-shaped end effectors. However, achieving stable grasps on fragile, deformable, irregularly shaped, or slippery objects is challenging due to difficulty in establishing stable forces or geometric constraints. Here, we present surface-based manipulation strategies that diverge from classical grasping approaches, using flat surfaces as minimalist end-effectors. By adjusting surfaces' position and orientation, objects can be translated, rotated, and flipped across the surface using closed-loop control strategies. Since this method does not rely on stable grasping, it can adapt to objects of various shapes, sizes, and stiffness levels and can even manipulate the shape of deformable objects. Our results provide a new perspective for solving complex manipulation problems.