Maneuvering a Stick in Three-Dimensional Space Using Impulsive Forces

The problem of maneuvering a stick in three-dimensional space using purely impulsive inputs is considered. A steady motion of the stick is one in which it is juggled between a sequence of configurations rotationally symmetric about the vertical axis; such a motion can be viewed as a periodic orbit. In particular, this work addresses the problem of transitioning from one steady orbit to another. The impulse controlled Poincaré map approach is used to achieve the desired control objective. Simulation results verify the efficacy of the control design for several maneuvers.