Automatic grip change for robot manipulators

This thesis illustrates an automatic grip change system for robot manipulators capable of switching grasp on a given rigid object using an intermediate station as a stable support placement. Given the initial and final grasp poses on the item, the aforementioned system is designed to find all the valid configurations for the object in terms of couplings with the supporting station and feasibility of the related pick-up and place motions. Correct matching among possible object poses and support station are evaluated using a placement planning component that runs an algorithm specially developed to meet the needs. Feasibility of motion trajectories are tested by a feasibility analyzer element that firstly checks reachability at the target grasps and secondly evaluates collidability in the same poses between the robot end-effector and the obstacles in the surroundings.