Manipulation

Pinch Grasp

A pinch grasp is a precision grasp in which an object is held between fingertip surfaces, typically the thumb opposing one or more fingers, rather than enclosed by the palm and fingers as in a power grasp. It affords fine control and in-hand adjustment at the cost of strength and stability, and it is the grasp type parallel-jaw grippers approximate for small and thin objects.

Why it matters for physical AI

Grasp taxonomy directly informs gripper design and policy training: tasks such as picking cards, cables, or cloth edges demand pinch precision, which drives requirements for fingertip geometry, force resolution, and tactile sensing.