Related papers: An experiment to address conceptual difficulties i…
Beam tracking software for accelerators typically falls into two categories: fast envelope simulations limited to linear beam optics, and slower multiparticle simulations that can model nonlinear effects. To find a middle ground between…
We study the motion of a two-dimensional droplet on an inclined surface, under the action of gravity, using a diffuse interface model which allows for arbitrary equilibrium contact angles. The kinematics of motion is analysed by decomposing…
The objective of this note is to share some reflections of the authors regarding the use of sliding mode designs in control systems. We believe the abundant, and ever increasing, appearance of this kind of works on our scientific…
The paper concerns a simple model of bicycle kinematics: a bicycle is represented by an oriented segment of constant length in n-dimensional space that can move in such a way that the velocity of its rear end is aligned with the segment…
Granular surfaces subjected to forces due to rolling wheels develop ripples above a critical speed. The resulting pattern, known as "washboard" or "corrugated" road, is common on dry, unpaved roads. We investigated this phenomenon…
Biped robots are inherently unstable because of their complex kinematics as well as dynamics. Despite the many research efforts in developing biped locomotion, the performance of biped locomotion is still far from the expectations. This…
Granular surfaces tend to develop lateral ripples under the action of surface forces exerted by rolling wheels, an effect known as washboard or corrugated road. We report the results of both laboratory experiments and soft-particle direct…
In this paper, the problem of tracking desired longitudinal and lateral motions for a vehicle is addressed. Let us point out that a "good" modeling is often quite difficult or even impossible to obtain. It is due for example to parametric…
Cyclists face a disproportionate risk of injury, yet conventional crash records are too sparse to identify risk factors at fine spatial and temporal scales. Recently, naturalistic studies have used video data to capture the complex…
The contact mechanics of individual, very small particles with other particles and walls is studied using a nanoindenter setup that allows normal and lateral displacement control and measurement of the respective forces. The sliding,…
A simple text book problem in mechanics\cite{klep}, describes a massive horizontal bar placed on two oppositely rotating rollers, kept at a fixed center to center distance. Subsequent motion is to be found out in presence of kinetic…
Robotic hands offer advanced manipulation capabilities, while their complexity and cost often limit their real-world applications. In contrast, simple parallel grippers, though affordable, are restricted to basic tasks like pick-and-place.…
A single frictional elastic disk, supported against gravity by two others, rotates steadily when the supports are vibrated and the system is tilted with respect to gravity. Rotation is here studied using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and…
The resistance against rolling of a rigid cylinder on a flat viscous surface is investigated. We found that the rolling-friction coefficient reveals strongly non-linear dependence on the cylinder's velocity. For low velocity the…
Tracking pixels in videos is typically studied as an optical flow estimation problem, where every pixel is described with a displacement vector that locates it in the next frame. Even though wider temporal context is freely available, prior…
Impact-aware robotic manipulation benefits from an accurate map from ante-impact to post-impact velocity signals to support, e.g., motion planning and control. This work proposes an approach to generate and experimentally validate such…
We report an experimental, numerical and theoretical study of the motion of a ball on a rough inclined surface. The control parameters are $D$, the diameter of the ball, $\theta$, the inclination angle of the rough surface and $E_{ki}$, the…
This paper provides an analytical solution for the deformation of an elastic half-space caused by a cylindrical roller. The roller is considered rigid, and is forced into the half space and rolls across its surface, with contact modelled by…
We present a versatile experimental apparatus for exploring rotational motion through the interplay between the moment of inertia, torque and rotational kinetic energy. The heart of this experiment uses a 3D printed wheel along with easily…
Sliding motion between two rough solids under light normal loading involves myriad micro-impacts between antagonist micro-asperities. Those micro-impacts are at the origin of many emerging macroscopic phenomena, including the friction…