title: Classifying human manipulation behavior.
abstract: This paper presents a taxonomy for detailed classification of human and anthropomorphic manipulation behavior. This hand-centric, motion-centric taxonomy differentiates tasks based on criteria such as object contact, prehension, and the nature of object motion relative to a hand frame. A sub-classification of the most dexterous categories, within-hand manipulation, is also presented, based on the principal axis of object rotation or translation in the hand frame. Principles for categorizing complex, multi-faceted tasks are also presented, along with illustrative examples. We hope that the proposed taxonomy will both establish a standard language around human and anthropomorphic manipulation as well as enable improved understanding of the differences in hand use for a wide variety of behavior. Although designed for human and anthropomorphic hands, the taxonomy might easily be extended to a wide range of robot manipulators and end-effectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. ian.bullock@yale.edu
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dollar
mesh_terms: D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*