What
does the RemoteHIL_Lab offer?
The hardware-in-the-loop-simulator (HILS) is a
real-time simulation tool, which allows very realistic simulations for a
variety of mechatronics systems, from robot manipulators to electric vehicles.
The realistic simulation feature is achieved by using high performance motion
controllers and load simulator motors, as well as the hardware and software
of the actual system in consideration to the maximum possible extent. Within
the scope of our NWACC grant and as part of our NFS-CISE project, a HILS
setup is developed initially as an on-site and remote robotics simulation
tool.
The HIL robot simulator developed in this
project uses the same motor type used in the joints of the actual robot.
It also uses the same micro controller used in the actual system. At the
Robotics Laboratory of University of Alaska Fairbanks, the HIL setup is developed
to match the dynamics and control of the PUMA 560 robot, also available at
the lab. The open-architecture PUMA 560 is currently being converted for
operation under DSP based motion controllers. Hence, the hardware-in-the-loop
simulator (HILS) setup is designed to match our PUMA 560 as the first example.
Pictures of both setups can be seen below;
 //////// 
The basic structure of a HIL setup involves 2 motors
coupled with one another through the shaft. One of the motors operates as
the joint actuator, while the other motor is used for the generation of the
total torque, which replicates the actual dynamics affecting that joint for
a particular robotic configuration. Considering the PUMA 560, the joint motor
is elected as a permanent magnet DC motor, while the load motor is a direct-drive
motor (DDM) due to its high accuracy and high speed.
Below is a functional schematic diagram of the
HIL concept:
The HILS setup is developed for both on-site and
remote use for research and education.
|
