Multi-Body System and Contact Simulation within the Design Development of Planetary Surface Exploratin Systems

Abstract

Multi-body system simulation is capable of mechanical design optimization and evaluation of different configurations as well as simulating autonomous reconfigurable robotic systems. Within the current ExoMars project the presented simulation environment is successfully used for rover performance analysis on typical rough and sloped terrain. For the presented contact simulation methods correlations and validation during the rover design and evaluation phase efforts have been undertaken within the ExoMars study. The exploration system Marco Polo Surface Scout containing a hopping mechanism shows the capabilities of applying the simulation to non-wheeled robotic systems. Within the MoonNEXT study reconfiguration tools and sophisticated contact model approaches. The actuator models are integrated in the simulation tool chain. The performance evaluations within the multi-body system approach is conducted by means of sophisticated contact models for hard and soft soil with almost arbitrarily shaped contact surfaces.