Differentiable Robot Neural Distance Function

for Adaptive Grasp Synthesis on

a Unified Robotic Arm-Hand System

*Work done during an internship at LASA, EPFL

Corresponding Authors

1EPFL, 2Chalmers University of Technology, 3University College London

Abstract

Grasping is a fundamental skill for robots to interact with their environment. While grasp execution requires coordinated movement of the hand and arm to achieve a collision-free and secure grip, many grasp synthesis studies address arm and hand motion planning independently, leading to potentially unreachable grasps in practical settings. The challenge of determining integrated arm-hand configurations arises from its computational complexity and high-dimensional nature.

We address this challenge by presenting a novel differentiable robot neural distance function. Our approach excels in capturing intricate geometry across various joint configurations while preserving differentiability. This innovative representation proves instrumental in efficiently addressing downstream tasks with stringent contact constraints. Leveraging this, we introduce an adaptive grasp synthesis framework that exploits the full potential of the unified arm-hand system for diverse grasping tasks.

Robot Neural Distance Function

Interpolating in Joint Space

Our robot neural distance function can generate smooth interpolation in the configuration space.

The predicted distances with a value of 0 are visualized by the blue mesh. The transparent space represents the area within 5cm from the surface of the robot.

Use the slider here to linearly interpolate between (0 to 90 degrees at the first joint) the left frame and the right frame.

Interpolate start reference image.

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Interpolation end reference image.

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Supplementary Video