MATLAB: [Simscape Multibody Contact Forces Library] What is the difference between “Sphere to Plane Force” and “Sphere to Plane Force Enabled”

Question

Hi everyone,

I'm using Simscape Multibody Contact Forces Library for my simulation and I found 2 contact simulation of the same shapes, Sphere to Plane Force and Sphere to Plane Force Enabled.

What is the difference of those models and how can I use them?

Answer 1

Hi Toshiki - the only difference between these two blocks is that the Sphere to Plane Force is always active, and the Sphere to Plane Force can be enabled or disabled using an external signal. The enable/disable function is useful if you want to turn off contact force calculations to speed up your simulation or permit an object to move through another one temporarily.

I originally created the enable/disable version for the mini golf example I put together. I needed to turn off the contact force in order to allow the putter to move "through" the ball when lining up a shot. I have used it since for manufacturing systems, permitting objects to move back to the start or condtionally through obstacles.

--Steve