Predicting Motion Behavior Under Contact Uncertainty

Performing complex assembly tasks with robots requires fine-motion planners able to cope with uncertainty and contact motions, which is a difficult issue. This report proposes a method to predict the behavior of motions under contact uncertainty in order to check the feasibility of paths generated by gross-motion planning algorithms from a nominal model of the environment. This pragmatical approach enables the extension of gross-motion planning techniques to constrained-motion planning problems, ensuring the feasibility of the task despite the uncertainties. The approach has been implemented for assembly tasks in the plane with three degrees of freedom. Index Terms Compliant Motion, Uncertainty, Contact analysis, Configuration space, Robotic assembly.