Dynamic simulation for grasping and whole arm manipulation

We propose a novel approach to dynamic simulation of grasps that overcomes difficulties due to inconsistencies in the forward dynamics problem. The key idea in the paper is a minimalist model of the contact compliance and the use of this model in situations when the performance of the rigid body model is not satisfactory. Our general framework allows for online diagnostics that enable the automatic switching between models to maximize efficiency while avoiding ambiguous situations. We illustrate the basic ideas by simulating the dynamics of several whole arm grasps.