Experimental Verification of a Systematic Method for Identifying Contact-Dynamics Model Parameters

This project is aimed at conducting an experimental test of a new and systematic method for identifying the key parameters of a general multiple-point contact dynamics model using a robotics-based experimental testbed. The hypothesis verified in this project is that the identification method is capable of identifying the stiffness, damping, and friction parameters all together from a same hardware test. Such an identification capability is very appealing to physical simulation practice because the existing technologies allow identify these parameters from hardware test only one at a time using special equipment. Therefore, the new method can significantly increase the efficiency and convenience of simulation practice. The theoretical part of the method was developed earlier and it had also been tested using computer simulations. In this short-term project, the method was experimentally investigated using a specially designed hardware setup. Because of the time limitations of the STIR program, the test could only be done with one- and two-point contact cases. Nevertheless, these tests have experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of the method.