A Robot Dynamics Simulator

Robotic manipulators are complex (coupled and nonlinear) multi-variable mechanical systems that are designed to perform specific tasks. The versatile robot arm dynamic simulation tool VAST (Ref. 1) has been created to provide a user-friendly working environment in which to simulate and interpret the physical characteristics of robot and actuator dynamics and design and evaluate feedback controllers for robotic manipulators. The development and features of VAST are highlighted in this article. The simulator structure is flexible, versatile, and amenable to further development. The simulator has been designed to become the foundation of a robot-oriented CAD (computer-aided design) system.