Integrating Path Planning and Pivoting

In this work we propose a method for integrating motion planning and in-hand manipulation. Commonly addressed as a separate step from the final execution, in-hand manipulation allows the robot to reorient an object within the end-effector for the successful outcome of the goal task. A joint achievement of repositioning the object and moving the manipulator towards its desired final pose saves time in the execution and introduces more flexibility in the system. We address this problem using a pivoting strategy (i.e. in-hand rotation)for repositioning the object and we integrate this strategy with a path planner for the execution of a complex task. This method is applied on a Baxter robot and its efficacy is shown by experimental results.