Nonholonomic kinematics and dynamics of the Sphericle

Abstract

We consider a complete dynamic model for the "Sphericle", a spherical vehicle that has been designed and realized in our laboratory. The Sphericle is able to roll on the floor of the laboratory and reach arbitrary positions and orientations, through the use of only two motors placed within the rolling sphere. In this paper, we report on the derivation of the kinematic model of the Sphericle, which incorporates two types of nonholonomic constraints and its dynamic model.