Grasp Authoring#

Overview#

This tutorial demonstrates how to author custom grasps for objects using Isaac Sim’s Grasp Editor. Custom grasps allow you to define specific grasp poses that are optimized for your gripper and objects, improving the reliability and success rate of pick and place operations.

The Grasp Editor provides a visual interface for defining and testing grasps directly in Isaac Sim, which can then be used with Isaac for Manipulation workflows.

Isaac Sim scene used for authoring grasps for the Robotiq 2F-140 or 2F-85 grippers with the "soup can" or "mac and cheese" objects

Author Custom Grasps#

  1. Set up your development environment by following the instructions in getting started.

  2. Load the grasp authoring scene in Isaac Sim and hit Play.

    https://omniverse-content-production.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Assets/Isaac/5.1/Isaac/Samples/ROS2/Scenario/isaac_manipulator_grasp_authoring.usd

    This scene provides a setup for authoring grasps with the Robotiq 2F-140 or 2F-85 grippers for objects like the “soup can” or “mac and cheese” box.

  3. Follow the official Isaac Sim Grasp Editor tutorial to create and test grasps using the Grasp Editor interface.

    When configuring the Grasp Editor:

    • Gripper frame: Set to robotiq_base_link

    • Rigid body frame: Set to soup_can (for the soup can object) or the appropriate object name for your target object

  4. Save the generated grasp file. The Grasp Editor will export the grasps in a format compatible with Isaac for Manipulation.

  5. Note the path to your saved grasp file, as you will need to reference it in the configuration file.

Use Custom Grasps in Pick and Place#

After authoring your grasps, you can use them in pick and place workflows:

  1. Open the Isaac for Manipulation configuration file:

    ${ISAAC_ROS_WS}/src/isaac_manipulator/isaac_manipulator_bringup/params/sim_launch_params.yaml

  2. Override the grasp_file_path parameter in the configuration file to point to your custom grasp file:

    grasp_file_path: /path/to/your/custom_grasps.yaml

  3. Launch your pick and place workflow as described in the Pick and Place tutorial.

    The system will now use your custom grasps instead of the default ones.

Tips for Grasp Authoring#

  • Test multiple grasps: Author several grasp poses for each object to provide fallback options if one grasp fails

  • Consider approach angles: Define grasps from different approach angles to handle various object orientations

  • Validate in simulation: Test your grasps thoroughly in simulation before deploying to a real robot

  • Account for gripper constraints: Ensure grasps respect the gripper’s physical constraints and workspace limits

  • Object-specific grasps: Create separate grasp files for different objects to optimize for each object’s geometry

Supported Grippers#

This tutorial supports the following grippers:

  • Robotiq 2F-140

  • Robotiq 2F-85

The grasp authoring scene can be adapted for other grippers by modifying the gripper model in the USD file.

Next Steps#