A time-stepping scheme for quasistatic multibody systems

Two new instantaneous-time models for predicting the motion and contact forces of three-dimensional, quasistatic multi-rigid-body systems are developed; one linear and one nonlinear. The nonlinear characteristic is the result of retaining the usual quadratic friction cone in the model. Discrete-time versions of these models provide the first time-stepping methods for such systems. As a first step to understanding their usefulness in simulation and manipulation planning, a theorem for solution uniqueness is presented along with simulation results for a simple example