Postural modes and control for dexterous mobile manipulation: the UMass uBot concept

We present the UMass uBot concept for dexterous mobile manipulation. The uBot concept is built around Bernstein's definition of dexterity-“the ability to solve a motor problem correctly, quickly, rationally, and resourcefully” [1]. We contend that dexterity in robotic platforms cannot arise from control alone and can only be achieved when the entire design of the robot affords resourceful behavior. uBot-6 is the latest robot in the uBot series whose design affords several postural configurations and mobility modes. We discuss these dexterous mobility options in detail and demonstrate the strength of dexterous mobility.