Title: Early design and simulation toolkit for mobile robot platforms

Authors: Raivo Sell; Andres Petritsenko

Addresses: Department of Mechatronics, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia ' Department of Mechatronics, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia

Abstract: The early design is an important but often underestimated design stage of a new product development process. Engineering decisions at different design stages affect the final product without any doubt. However, decisions made at an early design stage affect the result much more than later ones. The objective of the research is to provide comprehensive framework, supported by the appropriate tools and techniques for system engineering and mobile robot platforms. The framework applies novel technique - System Modelling Language (SysML) as a technical language of creating models as well as simulation scenarios. Mobile Robot Toolkit profile is developed based on SysML, which is intended to provide pre-defined models and simulation cases to help designers to compare design candidates more effectively and find out optimal solution in minimum time with maximum help of computational tools. A case study, presenting examples of applying toolkit models for performance evaluation is introduced in the end of paper.

Keywords: early design; conceptual design; mobile robots; simulation; SysML; systems modelling; unmanned ground vehicles; robot platforms; robot design; new product development; NPD; performance evaluation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2013.053499

International Journal of Product Development, 2013 Vol.18 No.2, pp.168 - 192

Received: 06 Jun 2012
Accepted: 02 Nov 2012
Published online: 20 Sep 2014 *

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