AbstractParts acquisition by a robot is an important industrial problem. Our method makes possible the acquisition of various types of parts which are jumbled together in a pile. An intensity image along with selected range data is used to guide a robot to a location, called a holdsite, at which it can grasp a part. The intensity image gives a rough indication of an area of interest and a laser rangefinder mounted on the robot wrist collects range data in its vicinity. This data is processed using spatial planning methods to find a good holdsite according to safety and stability criteria. The robot is then directed to the holdsite and the part is grasped. The algorithms are simple, fast, and have been successfully tested on a variety of parts.