Optimal control of a somersaulting platform diver: A numerical approach

In this paper we study the somersaulting maneuver of a platform diver and give an effective numerical approach for obtaining and optimal solution for it. Modeling the diver as a planar system of interconnected multibodies, we prove controllability in a sense dictated by the problem. We set up a time optimal control problem with state and control constraints and solve it using our numerical approach. The numerical solution agrees well with motion executed by professional divers.