Re: Updated document on kin&dyn API...

Herman Bruyninckx writes: 

> I've put an updated version of the kinematics and dynamics design
> document on the Orocos webpage:  
> 
>  <http://www.orocos.org/kindyn-doc.html> 
> 
> We really need to discuss APIs and coordinate representations.
> So, even more than ever, feedback is very welcome! 
> 
> (Not that I have any hope of getting feedback... This is the "open
>  source Cathedral" after all, isn't it. And even "release early"
> doesn't seem to generate much interest :-( ) 
> 
> What I would like to discuss first are things like:
> - naming of classes
> - separation of functionality in classes
> - API nomenclature and approach
> - the coordinate representations, and the names we give to them
> - the way we model kinematic structures, and the names and contents of
>   the "kinematic families" I define in the document

I have a question right from the beginning: why do you focus
on lumped parameter systems?  I'm of course biased towards
deformable systems (e.g. systems where deformability is important,
like space robots or helicopter rotor blades), so I'm curious:
do you think deformable systems are out of scope, or do they
represent too hard a challenge, or what?
Maybe if you don't consider them from the beginning you won't
be able to cast them into your scheme.  So, what's your concern
about deformability? 

p. 

Dr. Pierangelo Masarati               | voice: +39 02 2399 8309
Dip. Ing. Aerospaziale                | fax:   +39 02 2399 8334
Politecnico di Milano                 | mailto:[email protected]
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