On the Conic Complementarity of Planar Contacts

Abstract

We present a unifying theoretical result that con- nects two foundational principles in robotics: the Signorini law for point contacts, which underpins many simulation methods for preventing object interpenetration, and the center of pres- sure (also known as the zero-moment point), a key concept in optimization-based locomotion control. Our contribution is the planar Signorini condition, a conic complementarity formulation that models general planar contacts between rigid bodies. We prove that this formulation is equivalent to enforcing the punctual Signorini law across an entire contact surface, thereby bridging the gap between discrete and continuous contact models. A geometric interpretation reveals that the framework naturally captures three physical regimes —stick- ing, separating, and tilting— within a unified complementarity structure. This leads to a principled extension of the classical center of pressure, which we refer to as the extended center of pressure. By establishing this connection, our work provides a mathematically consistent and computationally tractable foundation for handling planar contacts, with implications for both the accurate simulation of contact dynamics and the design of next-generation control and optimization algorithms in locomotion and manipulation.