I would like clarification on the friction model used by V-REP for the ODE engine. I refer to an old post (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5956&p=23946&hilit= ... del#p23946) where this question was raised but not answered.
According to the ODE manual (http://ode.org/wiki/index.php?title=Manual), there are 2 friction approximations to choose from:
- The meaning of μ is changed so that it specifies the maximum friction (tangential) force that can be present at a contact, in either of the tangential friction directions.
- The friction cone is approximated by a friction pyramid aligned with the first and second friction directions. This differs from a true friction pyramid in that the "effective" μ is not quite fixed. This approximation is easier to use as μ is a unit-less ratio the same as the normal Coloumb friction coefficient, and thus can be set to a constant value around 1.0 without regard for the specific simulation.
Thank you very much.