Abstract
Keywords: Motion Simulation, Robotics, Path-Planning, Singularities, Washout Filter
This paper presents a new approach utilizing an industrial robot as an interactive motion simulator platform, to take advantage of both a highly flexible workspace and considerably lower costs due to mass production of the basic mechanics. Driving simulators have been used for testing and validation for decades. They range from simple low-cost simulators with a fixed base to very complex and expensive ones which are hexapod-based with six degrees of freedom. The presented, innovative approach is a robot-based motion simulator combining the advantages of high motion flexibility and reasonable costs. The serial configuration of the robot mechanics provides a considerable larger workspace than a classical hexapod-based motion simulator, allowing tilt angles of more than ± 90 degrees. Hence, this serial configuration also introduces some difficulties concerning the path-planning of the simulator cell because of the more complex workspace and the existence of singularities in the workspace (configurations causing loss of degrees of freedom). The usage of standard path-planning algorithms like the classical washout-filter, only considering constraints in the Cartesian space, can lead to reference trajectories beyond the dynamical possibilities of the robot mechanics.
The paper will focus on the development of a new path-planning algorithm for robot-based simulators that can handle these problems. In combination with a visualisation system and a pilot seat, the industrial robot can be used as a comparably low-priced motion simulator e.g. for the test of vehicle dynamics. Additionally, the evaluation of the algorithm under real test conditions and comparison with the simulation results will be demonstrated.