Patent ID: 8483882

Claim:
A robotic system comprising: a robot having a plurality of manipulators collectively adapted for grasping an object using one of a plurality of grasp types during an execution of a primary task having a task space and a null-space, wherein the manipulators have redundant degrees of freedom when grasping the object and the object has a predetermined number of degrees of freedom; and a controller that is electrically connected to the robot, and adapted to control the plurality of manipulators during the execution of the primary task using a multiple-task control hierarchy that includes a secondary task; wherein the controller: automatically parameterizes internal forces of the robotic system for each of the plurality grasp types in response to an input signal; defines the task space of the primary task at an object-level of control as a subset of the predetermined number of degrees of freedom of the object, such that at least some of the predetermined number of degrees of freedom of the object are not commanded for the primary task; and incorporates the degrees of freedom that are not commanded for the primary task into the null-space of the primary task to thereby increase a task space of the secondary task, wherein the task space of the secondary task also includes at least some of the redundant degrees of freedom of the manipulators.