Inverse kinematics can for computing a goal configuration for the robot arm.
As an alternative, we have conducted a series of experiments utilizing randomized path planning techniques. A user can click on a object and command the robot to reposition it interactively. This problem formulation is suitable for manipulation tasks involving relatively lightweight objects that can be grasped by a single arm. We are currently extending the technique to handle multi-arm manipulation tasks. In order to be fully-general, motion planning algorithms for humanoid robots must take into account all available degrees of freedom.