diff --git a/GeometricPlanning/CMakeLists.txt b/GeometricPlanning/CMakeLists.txt
index e93497798bc398edb1fe067e0140cf6edd87b467..fe29714155848bea33a1112148a7b8c007d2f224 100644
--- a/GeometricPlanning/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/GeometricPlanning/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ SET(SOURCES
     path_primitives/CircleSegment.cpp
     path_primitives/Line.cpp
     visualization.cpp
+    util.cpp
 )
 
 SET(HEADERS
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ SET(HEADERS
     path_primitives/Line.h
     assert/assert.h
     visualization.h
+    util.h
 )
 
 ADD_LIBRARY(GeometricPlanning SHARED) # sources will be added later
diff --git a/GeometricPlanning/util.cpp b/GeometricPlanning/util.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..fa5f3b22ca409ae977b7399ed18e99c9a2268dc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GeometricPlanning/util.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+/**
+ * This file is part of ArmarX.
+ *
+ * ArmarX is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * ArmarX is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @author     Fabian Reister ( fabian dot reister at kit dot edu )
+ * @date       2023
+ * @copyright  http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
+ *             GNU General Public License
+ */
+
+#include "util.h"
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <optional>
+#include <tuple>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <SimoxUtility/algorithm/string/string_tools.h>
+#include <VirtualRobot/Grasping/GraspSet.h>
+#include <VirtualRobot/Robot.h>
+
+namespace simox::geometric_planning
+{
+
+
+    std::vector<std::string>
+    nodesMatching(const std::vector<std::string>& allNodeNames, const std::string& identifier)
+    {
+
+        std::vector<std::string> handleNodeNames;
+        std::copy_if(allNodeNames.begin(),
+                     allNodeNames.end(),
+                     std::back_inserter(handleNodeNames),
+                     [&identifier](const auto& nodeName)
+                     {
+                         // the second check is a bit hacky: we can define transformation nodes in URDF which might match, e.g. "parent->child"
+                         return simox::alg::ends_with(nodeName, identifier) and
+                                not simox::alg::contains(nodeName, '>');
+                     });
+
+        return handleNodeNames;
+    }
+
+    std::optional<std::tuple<VirtualRobot::RobotNodePtr, VirtualRobot::GraspPtr>>
+    findGraspByName(const VirtualRobot::Robot& robot,
+                    const std::string& graspSetName,
+                    const std::string& graspName)
+    {
+        for (const auto& [node, graspSets] : allGraspSets(robot))
+        {
+            if (not graspSets.empty())
+            {
+                // ARMARX_VERBOSE << "Found grasp sets attached to node " << node->getName();
+                for (const auto& graspSet : graspSets)
+                {
+                    // check if grasp set name matches if provided
+                    if (not graspSetName.empty() and graspSet->getName() != graspSetName)
+                    {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    for (const auto& grasp : graspSet->getGrasps())
+                    {
+                        if (graspName == grasp->getName())
+                        {
+                            return std::make_tuple(node, grasp);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return std::nullopt;
+    }
+
+    std::map<VirtualRobot::RobotNodePtr, std::vector<VirtualRobot::GraspSetPtr>>
+    allGraspSets(const VirtualRobot::Robot& robot)
+    {
+        std::map<VirtualRobot::RobotNodePtr, std::vector<VirtualRobot::GraspSetPtr>> nodeGraspSets;
+
+        for (const auto& node : robot.getRobotNodes())
+        {
+            const auto graspSets = node->getAllGraspSets();
+            for (const auto& graspSet : graspSets)
+            {
+                nodeGraspSets[node].push_back(graspSet);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return nodeGraspSets;
+    }
+
+} // namespace simox::geometric_planning
diff --git a/GeometricPlanning/util.h b/GeometricPlanning/util.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2bc0e7357af90c1fa3b5dcdede2efdf42c6e5b8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GeometricPlanning/util.h
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/**
+ * This file is part of ArmarX.
+ *
+ * ArmarX is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * ArmarX is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @author     Fabian Reister ( fabian dot reister at kit dot edu )
+ * @date       2023
+ * @copyright  http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
+ *             GNU General Public License
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+
+#include <map>
+
+#include <VirtualRobot/VirtualRobot.h>
+
+namespace simox::geometric_planning
+{
+
+    std::vector<std::string> nodesMatching(const std::vector<std::string>& allNodeNames,
+                                           const std::string& identifier);
+
+    std::optional<std::tuple<VirtualRobot::RobotNodePtr, VirtualRobot::GraspPtr>>
+    findGraspByName(const VirtualRobot::Robot& robot,
+                    const std::string& graspSetName,
+                    const std::string& graspName);
+
+    std::map<VirtualRobot::RobotNodePtr, std::vector<VirtualRobot::GraspSetPtr>>
+    allGraspSets(const VirtualRobot::Robot& robot);
+
+
+} // namespace simox::geometric_planning