Trunk-like robot: contact points detection

[camilla-agabiti]

Hello,

I am working on the Trunk-like robot for my PhD project. In particular, I would like to do grasping simulations in which the robot grasps some objects by means of the whole arm (by curling the arm around the object, see the figure attached

).
I have started to set a motion planning problem in which I give a trajectory to be followed by the end-effector (the red curve in the figure attached) so that the object is encircled. Then, I would like to define a grasping strategy; in particular, I was wondering if it is possible to:

1. Have knowledge of the kinematic parameters (coordinates, velocity, acceleration, etc..) of some points of the robot during the simulation?
2. When there is contact between the robot and the object, is it possible to know these contact points?

Thank you very much!
Camilla