[ODE] Hovercraft dynamics

[vempire]

Me again,

The other way I'm thinking to do this is by applying forces to the body directly. That way I don't even need the joint for the rotor flap.

Another point is to get the sliding effect to work correctly.. If at a certain speed and the orientation of the flaps change the hover will not change direction like it would with a car which has good grip. Any thoughts on this ?

However I'm cautious about this approach since the documentation mentions it can cause stability problems.

>-- from documentation

The alternative to using joint stops and motors is to simply apply forces to the affected bodies yourself. Applying motor forces is easy, and joint stops can be emulated with restraining spring forces. However applying forces directly is often not a good approach and can lead to severe stability problems if it is not done carefully.

<--

Thanks,

Laurent

On Fri, 2 May 2003 18:00:07 +0200
vempire <vempire@alternity.net> wrote:

> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am trying to do hovercraft dynamics with ODE.. I'm not sure how to provide for the steering in the simulation as there is no real contact with the ground (air cushion floating slightly above the ground).
> 
> I am thinking it is best to create a hinge joint for one flap at the back of the rotor and use a motor on that so that it can apply the necessary forces. I'm not sure how the steering will be handled in this case.
> 
> I'm new to using a physics engine and do not know which approach is best. I will continue investigating it but help is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Laurent
> 
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