Motion planning for kinematic stratified systems with application to quasi-static legged locomotion and finger gaiting

We present a general motion planning algorithm for robotic systems with a “stratified” configuration space. Such systems include quasi-static legged robots and kinematic models of object manipulation by finger repositioning. Our method extends a nonlinear motion planning algorithm for smooth systems to the stratified case, where the relevant dynamics are not smooth. The method does not depend upon the number of legs or fingers, nor is it based on foot placement or finger placement concepts. Examples demonstrate the method.