RobotStudio/robot/models/mdl_ball.m
%MDL_BALL Create model of a ball manipulator
%
% MDL_BALL creates the workspace variable ball which describes the
% kinematic characteristics of a serial link manipulator with 50 joints
% that folds into a ball shape.
%
% MDL_BALL(N) as above but creates a manipulator with N joints.
%
% Also define the workspace vectors:
%   q  joint angle vector for default ball configuration
%
% Reference::
% - "A divide and conquer articulated-body algorithm for parallel O(log(n))
%   calculation of rigid body dynamics, Part 2",
%   Int. J. Robotics Research, 18(9), pp 876-892. 
%
% Notes::
% - Unlike most other mdl_xxx scripts this one is actually a function that
%   behaves like a script and writes to the global workspace.
%
% See also mdl_coil, SerialLink.

% MODEL: generic, ball shape, hyper redundant, 50DOF, standard_DH


% Copyright (C) 1993-2017, by Peter I. Corke
%
% This file is part of The Robotics Toolbox for MATLAB (RTB).
% 
% RTB is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
% it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
% (at your option) any later version.
% 
% RTB is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
% GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
% 
% You should have received a copy of the GNU Leser General Public License
% along with RTB.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
%
% http://www.petercorke.com

function r = mdl_ball(N)
    
    if nargin == 0
        N = 50;
    end
    
    % create the links
    for i=1:N
        links(i) = Link([0 0 0.1, pi/2]);
        q(i) = fract(i);
    end
    
    % and build a serial link manipulator
    robot = SerialLink(links, 'name', 'ball');
    
    % place the variables into the global workspace
    if nargin == 1
        r = robot;
    elseif nargin == 0
        assignin('caller', 'ball', robot);
        assignin('caller', 'q', q);     
    end
    
    
end
    
    function f = fract(i)
        theta1 = 1;
        theta2 = -2/3;
        
        switch mod(i,3)
            case 1
                f = theta1;
            case 2
                f = theta2;
            case 0
                f = fract(i/3);
        end
    end
