Purpose

This paper presents a method to measure the rolling friction coefficient in an easy and fast way. The aim is to measure the rolling friction coefficient between a small steel ball and a cylindrical aluminum surface.

Design/methodology/approach

An analytical model of the tribosystem of a freely rolling ball and a cylindrical surface is established. The rolling friction coefficient is evaluated from images recorded by a high-speed camera. The coefficient between a 1.58 mm diameter steel ball and a cylindrical aluminum surface is measured. A background subtraction algorithm is used to determine the position of the small steel ball.

Findings

The angular positions of the ball are predicted using the analytical model, and good agreement is found between the experimental and theoretical results.

Originality/value

An optical method for evaluating the rolling friction coefficient is presented, and the value of this coefficient between a small steel ball and a cylindrical aluminum surface is evaluated.