On grasping planar objects with two articulated fingers

The grasps attainable by mechanical hands with two opposing articulated fingers are examined. Such grasps are called planar, since all forces lie in plane defined by the contact points and the center of mass of the object. Assuming that the contact interaction can be modeled by point contact with Coulomb friction, the equilibrium equations for the grasped object are obtained. Satisfaction of force and moment equilibrium leads to the development of a compatability condition that relates object shape, contact locations and surface roughness as characterized by the coefficient of static friction μ. The set of all possible equilibrium grasps is determined for some examples and the results are presented as curves in a friction angle space. This representation permits choosing a grasp that is optimum in accordance with an independently developed criterion such as minimum dependence on friction forces.