Modeling of Elastically Coupled Bodies: Part II—Exponential and Generalized Coordinate Methods

Abstract

This paper looks at spatio-geometric modelling of elastically coupled rigid bodies. Two methods are presented. In the first method constitutive equations are derived by associating rigid body displacements with twist displacements and then generating wrenches proportional to the twist displacements. In the second method consistitutive equations are derived by associating rigid body displacements with generalized coordinate displacements, generating generalized forces proportional to the displacements, and then computing corresponding wrenches. The application of these methods and the geometric method presented in the companion paper are illustrated in a nontrivial example.