Presents an overview of research in dexterous manipulation. We first define robotic dexterous manipulation in comparison to traditional robotics and human manipulation. Next, kinematics, contact types and forces are used to formulate the dexterous manipulation problem. Dexterous motion planning is described, which includes grasp planning and quality measures. We look at mid- and low-level control frameworks, and then compare manipulation versus exploration. Finally, we list accomplishments in the different areas of dexterous manipulation research, and highlight important areas for future work.

This paper describes the implementation of a robot control architecture designed to combine a manipulation task design environment with a motion controller that uses the operational space formulation to define and implement arm trajectories and object manipulation. The ProVAR desktop manipulation system is an assistive robot for individuals with a severe physical disability, such as quadriplegia as a result of a high-level spinal cord injury. ProVAR allows non-technical operators access to the robot's capabilities through a direct-manipulation simulation/preview user interface. The novel interface concept is based on two built-in characters to play the roles of helpful consultant and down-to-earth robot arm. This team-based interface concept was chosen to maximize user performance and comfort in controlling the inherently complex mechatronic technology. This paper describes our design decisions and rationale.