Systems, devices, and methods for grasping by multi-purpose robots

A method of operation of a robot to grasp an object, wherein the robot includes:

• a robotic hand having multiple fingers and an opposable thumb;
• at least one processor operative to control actuations of the robotic hand;
• at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing a library of reusable grasp primitives and processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robotic hand to autonomously perform the reusable grasp primitives in the library of reusable grasp primitives, the method comprising:
• collecting data about the object by the at least one sensor;
• analyzing the data by the at least one processor to determine a geometry of the object;
• simulating, by the at least one processor, the robotic hand grasping the object with each reusable grasp primitive in the library of reusable grasp primitives to determine a particular reusable grasp primitive in the library of reusable grasp primitives that best fits the geometry of the object relative to all other grasp primitives in the library of reusable grasp primitives;
• and
• executing, by the robotic hand, the particular reusable grasp primitive to grasp the object.