Modeling of elastically coupled bodies : Part i-General theory and geometric potential function method

This paper looks at spatio-geometric modeling of elastically coupled rigid bodies. Desirable properties of compliance families are defined (sufficient diversity parsimony, frame-indifference, and port-indifference), A novel compliance family with the desired properties is defined using geometric potential energy functions, The configuration-dependent wrenches corresponding to these potential functions are derived in a form suitable for automatic computation.