Manipulation

Prehensile Manipulation

Prehensile manipulation is manipulation performed while grasping, with the object held or caged by the hand so its motion is controlled through the grasp. It contrasts with nonprehensile manipulation, such as pushing, sliding, and tossing, where the object is moved without being held. Most industrial and learned manipulation is prehensile, since a firm grasp reduces the object's uncertainty to that of the end effector.

Why it matters for physical AI

The prehensile versus nonprehensile distinction structures the manipulation design space: grasping buys certainty at the cost of grasp feasibility, while contact-rich alternatives extend what simple grippers can achieve.