Simulation of nonholonomic mechanical systems using algorithmic differentiation

The purpose of this contribution is to introduce a new approach for simulating mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints. The technique of algorithmic differentiation is employed together with Hamel's equations of motion permitting to incorporate the nonholonomic constraints directly instead of generating a system of differential-algebraic equations. To apply the proposed simulation approach, the user only needs to state the kinetic and potential energies, the nonconservative forces, and the nonholonomic constraints of the system to be simulated. The procedure is demonstrated by an illustrating example of a nonholonomic moving robot.