Control framework for hand-arm coordination

Coordination of multiple manipulators requires cooperation at several levels in the control hierarchy. A distributed processing environment with no hardware dependencies except at the motor servo level would provide a flexible architecture for coordination. A system on these lines is being built to control an articulated hand and an arm. The four levels of control envisaged include a task decomposition level, a planning level, a scheduling level, and a server level. The hand will carry both force and tactile sensors, feedback from these are used to provide adaptive control in grasping tasks. The processing of the sensory information is performed by independent processes, with analyzed information being sent to the relevant layer of the system. The manipulators are also controlled by individual processes. All process can open communications with an active process sending commands or data, or receiving them. The scope of the system and the current setup are described along with future lines of development.