Visualization of the Contact Force Solution Space for Multi-Limbed Robots

2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis W. Hong ◽  
Raymond J. Cipra

A new analytical method for determining, describing, and visualizing the solution space for the contact force distribution of multi-limbed robots with three feet in contact with the environment in three-dimensional space is presented. The foot contact forces are first resolved into strategically defined foot contact force components to decouple them, and then the static equilibrium equations are applied. Using the friction cone equation at each foot contact point, the problem is then transformed into a geometrical one. Using geometric properties of the friction cones and by simple manipulation of their conic sections, the entire solution space which satisfies the static equilibrium and friction constraints at each contact point can be found. Two representation schemes, the “force space graph” and the “solution volume representation,” are developed for describing and visualizing the solution space which gives an intuitive visual map of how well the solution space is formed for the given conditions of the system.

Author(s):  
Dennis W. Hong ◽  
Raymond J. Cipra

A new analytical method for determining, describing, and visualizing the solution space for the contact force distribution of multi-limbed robots with three feet in contact with the environment in three-dimensional space is presented. The foot contact forces are first resolved into strategically defined foot contact force components to decouple them for simplifying the solution process, and then the static equilibrium equations are applied to find certain contact force components and the relationship between the others. Using the friction cone equation at each foot contact point and the known contact force components, the problem is transformed into a geometrical one to find the ranges of contact forces and the relationship between them that satisfy the friction constraint. Using geometric properties of the friction cones and by simple manipulation of their conic sections, the whole solution space which satisfies the static equilibrium and friction constraints at each contact point can be found. Two representation schemes, the “force space graph” and the “solution volume representation,” are developed for describing and visualizing the solution space which gives an intuitive visual map of how well the solution space is formed for the given conditions of the system.


2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis W. Hong ◽  
Raymond J. Cipra

One of the inherent problems of multi-limbed mobile robotic systems is the problem of multi-contact force distribution; the contact forces and moments at the feet required to support it and those required by its tasks are indeterminate. A new strategy for choosing an optimal solution for the contact force distribution of multi-limbed robots with three feet in contact with the environment in three-dimensional space is presented. The incremental strategy of opening up the friction cones is aided by using the “force space graph” which indicates where the solution is positioned in the solution space to give insight into the quality of the chosen solution and to provide robustness against disturbances. The “margin against slip with contact point priority” approach is also presented which finds an optimal solution with different priorities given to each foot contact point. Examples are presented to illustrate certain aspects of the method and ideas for other optimization criteria are discussed.


Author(s):  
Dennis W. Hong ◽  
Raymond J. Cipra

One of the inherent problems of multi-limbed mobile robotic systems is the problem of multi-contact force distribution; the contact forces and moments at the feet required to support it and those required by its tasks are indeterminate. A new strategy for choosing an optimal solution for the contact force distribution of multi-limbed robots with three feet in contact with the environment in three-dimensional space is presented. The optimal solution is found using a two-step approach: first finding the description of the entire solution space for the contact force distribution for a statically stable stance under friction constraints, and then choosing an optimal solution in this solution space which maximizes the objectives given by the chosen optimization criteria. An incremental strategy of opening up the friction cones is developed to produce the optimal solution which is defined as the one whose foot contact force vector is closest to the surface normal vector for robustness against slipping. The procedure is aided by using the “force space graph” which indicates where this solution is positioned in the solution space to give insight into the quality of the chosen solution and to provide robustness against disturbances. The “margin against slip with contact point priority” approach is also presented which finds an optimal solution with different priorities given to each foot contact point for the case when one foot is more critical than the other. Examples are presented to illustrate certain aspects of the method and ideas for other optimization criteria are discussed.


Author(s):  
J Jung ◽  
J Lee ◽  
K Huh

Information on contact forces in robot manipulators is indispensable for fast and accurate force control. Instead of expensive force sensors, estimation algorithms for contact forces have been widely developed. However, it is not easy to obtain the accurate values due to uncertainties. In this article, a new robust estimator is proposed to estimate three-dimensional contact forces acting on a three-link robot manipulator. The estimator is based on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) structure combined with a Lyapunov-based adaptation law for estimating the contact force. In contrast to the conventional EKF the new estimator is designed such that it is robust to the deterministic uncertainties such as the modelling error and the sensing bias. The performance of the proposed estimator is evaluated through simulations of a robot manipulator and demonstrates robustness in estimating the contact force. The estimation results show that it can be potentially used to replace the expensive force sensors in robot applications.


Author(s):  
A. Sepehri ◽  
K. Farhang

Three dimensional elastic-plastic contact of two nominally flat rough surfaces is by developing the equations governing the shoulder-shoulder contact of asperities based on the Chang, Etsion and Bogy (CEB) model of contact in which volume conservation is assumed in the plastic flow regime. Shoulder-shoulder asperity contact yields a slanted contact force consisting of both tangential (parallel to mean plane) and normal components. Each force component comprises elastic and elastic-plastic parts. Statistical summation of normal force components leads to the derivation of the normal contact force for the elastic-plastic contact akin to the CEB model. Half-plane tangential force due to elastic-plastic contact is derived through the statistical summation of tangential force component along an arbitrary tangential direction.


1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franck Quaine ◽  
Luc Martin ◽  
Jean-Pierre Blanchi

This manuscript describes three-dimensional force data collected during postural shifts performed by individuals simulating rock-climbing skills. Starting from a quadrupedal vertical posture, 6 expert climbers had to release their right-hand holds and maintain the tripedal posture for a few seconds. The vertical and contact forces (lateral and anteroposterior forces) applied on the holds were analyzed in two positions: an “imposed” position (the trunk far from the supporting wall) and an “optimized” position (the trunk close to the wall and lower contact forces at the holds). The tripedal postures performed in the two positions were achieved by the same pattern of vertical and contact forces exerted by the limbs on the holds. In the optimized position, the transfer of the forces was less extensive than in the imposed position, so that the forces were exerted primarily on the ipsilateral hold. Moreover, a link between the contact force values and the couple due to body weight with respect to the feet was shown.


Author(s):  
Ivan Metrikin ◽  
Andrey Borzov ◽  
Raed Lubbad ◽  
Sveinung Løset

Numerical simulation of a floater in ice-infested waters can be performed using a physics engine. This software can dynamically detect contacts and calculate the contact forces in a three-dimensional space among various irregularly shaped bodies, e.g. the floater and the ice floes. Previously, various physics engines were successfully applied to simulate floaters in ice. However, limited attention was paid to the criteria for selecting a particular engine for the simulation of a floater in broken-ice conditions. In this paper, four publicly available physics engines (AgX Multiphysics, Open Dynamics Engine, PhysX and Vortex) are compared in terms of integration performance and contact detection accuracy. These two aspects are assumed to be the most important for simulating a floater in broken ice. Furthermore, the access to code, documentation quality and the level of technical support are evaluated and discussed. The main conclusion is that each physics engine has its own strength and weaknesses and none of the engines is perfect. These strength and weaknesses are revealed and discussed in the paper.


Author(s):  
Hannah J. Lundberg ◽  
Markus A. Wimmer

Detailed knowledge of in vivo knee contact forces and the contribution from muscles, ligaments, and other soft-tissues to knee joint function are essential for evaluating total knee replacement (TKR) designs. We have recently developed a mathematical model for calculating knee joint contact forces using parametric methodology (Lundberg et al., 2009). The numerical model calculates a “solution space” of three-dimensional contact forces for both the medial and lateral compartments of the tibial plateau. The solution spaces are physiologically meaningful, and represent the result of balancing the external moments and forces by different strategies.


Author(s):  
Ali Sepehri ◽  
Kambiz Farhang

Mathematical formulae are derived for normal and tangential components of the contact force that depend not only on the proximity of the two surfaces but also the rate of approach and relative sliding. The development of the contact model is based on the asperity shoulder-shoulder contact leading to slanted asperity contact force. Thus an asperity force contains both normal and tangential components. Three dimensional consideration of asperity contact force yields directionally dependence of both the normal and tangential force components. A previously reported statistical approach is employed in which the dependence of the asperity normal and tangential contact force components on relative tangential velocity of two asperities are cast as corrective factors in the mathematical description of normal and tangential force components. The two corrective coefficients are the force directionality corrective coefficient and the force-velocity directionality corrective coefficient. Approximate equations are found for each of the normal and half-plane tangential force components that achieve accuracy within five (5) percent error.


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