Chapter 2. Prehension

Chapter I - Introduction 13
configured for placement on the object, and once contact is made, a
stable grasp is established and maintained. However, studying the
phases isn’t sufficient. Many constraints are acting at different levels
and on the different phases of prehensile activity. For example, the
way the hand is shaped in order to comply with object properties is
partially a function of anatomical and biomechanical constraints, while
the chosen set of object properties that must be complied with is more
a function of the task constraints. We make explicit these constraints,
examine experimental evidence and suggest how computational
models can be developed for capturing hand function. By critically
evaluating the current knowledge about the hand, our goal is to make
explicit a common language for understanding human prehension
across robotics, cognitive science, kinesiology, computer science,
psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and rehabilitation.