Teaching Robotics with a reconfigurable 3D multibody dynamics simulator

Abstract

The theoretical foundations of a software package used to teach Robotics by simulation of 3D multibody systems is described. The software called PADROB is based in a methodology that automatically assembles and solves the equations of motion of a 3D mechanism specified according to modeling conventions. The system of equations is time-integrated to simulate the behavior of a multibody mechanism subject to a set of external forces and moments. Models are constructed by specifying bodies and connections (joints) between them, and they easily reconfigurable.