Mechatronic Development Process Research Articles

Latency and sampling compensation in mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulations of production systems

X-in-the-Loop Simulation methods (Model-in-the-Loop, Software-in-the-Loop and Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation) enable the virtual commissioning of production systems in the mechatronic development process by coupling control systems and digital twins. Mixed-Reality-in-the-Loop Simulations (MRiLS) extend this principle with Mixed Reality visualisation technologies to enhance the visual fusion of reality (e.g., real environment and human) and virtuality (digital twins), opening up a simulation loop in the reality-virtuality continuum with novel application potentials e.g., from development, training to maintenance. A major challenge in MRiLS is the positioning error of actuated real-data driven virtual components caused by latency and sampling processes between the industrial control system and the Mixed Reality device which significantly limits the application scope. To reduce this error, the paper proposes a compensation method that synchronises the Mixed Reality device to the stable time base of the control system and integrates a predictive positioning of virtual components. A software-based synchronisation method is presented, which allows the online estimation of the End-to-End latency between the control cycle and the visualisation. For prediction, interpolating and approximating section-wise defined polynomials are analysed. The error reduction by applying the compensation method is shown in a realisation example of a virtual gripper linked to a real robot kinematics.

Advances in standardized approach to ECAD/MCAD collaboration

Adopting the mechatronics as contemporary most emerging engineering discipline the integration of mechanical and electrical computer aided design (CAD) (MCAD/ECAD) systems remains a big challenge in concurrent engineering because their data models and functionality have been developed continuously further apart. Market research confirms that an integrated tool chain for ECAD and MCAD design is prerequisite for a better mechatronic development process. This paper presents the overview of various integration approaches with different degree of maturity and describes the concept of deep integration for mechatronic products conducted by ProSTEP iViP Association which combines existing standards in engineering collaboration context. Version 3 of the current ProSTEP iViP Recommendation PSI 5 entitled “ECAD/MCAD-Collaboration” provides a comprehensive specification for collaboration between the ECAD and MCAD worlds. A considerable number of vendors have now implemented the underlying data schema and integrated it in the corresponding products. As a result, users can now choose the solutions that best meet their particular needs from an increasingly wide range of efficient systems for collaborative product development within the ECAD and MCAD fields.

Standardized Approach to ECAD/MCAD Collaboration.

Adopting the mechatronics as contemporary engineering discipline the integration of mechanical and electrical CAD (MCAD/ECAD) systems is a big challenge in concurrent engineering because their data models and functionality have been developed continuously further apart. Market research confirms that an integrated tool chain for ECAD and MCAD design is prerequisite for a better mechatronic development process. This paper describes the concept of deep integration for mechatronic products conducted by ProSTEP iViP Association which combines existing standards. Version 3 of the current ProSTEP iViP Recommendation PSI 5 entitled ECAD/MCAD-Collaboration provides a comprehensive specification for collaboration between the ECAD and MCAD worlds. A considerable number of vendors have now implemented the underlying data schema and integrated it in the corresponding products. As a result, users can now choose the solutions that best meet their particular needs from an increasingly wide range of efficient systems for collaborative product development within the ECAD and MCAD fields.

MODELLING AND SIMULATING APPROACH OF DISTRIBUTED DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES IN MECHATRONICS

The attempt to improve mechatronic design processes is hindered by their complexity. The process complexity is mainly caused by an extensive process modularity and by the interdependencies of heterogeneous distributed processes which in turn are due to the interrelation of multidisciplinary domains. This paper proposes a new approach for planning and improving mechatronic design processes by modelling and simulating distributed development processes using object-oriented Petri Nets. For this purpose, this approach not only implements stochastic characteristics of development processes. It integrates design processes from different domains. In summary, a robust tool for planning and analysing mechatronic development processes is created.Topic A (Methods and tools for multi-disciplinary systems development)

Development of Smart Vehicles Using a Scaled Mechatronic Environment

In the future “smart” passenger vehicles will provide additional functionality starting with driver assistance systems and ending up in completely autonomous driving systems. In the first case these systems will mainly ensure comfortable and pleasant autonomous drive along highways. In this paper an advanced method for the whole mechatronic development process of future autonomous vehicle systems is described. Due to the fact that the verification and validation of vehicle dynamics results for future automotive systems can be seen as major challenge within the development process special emphasis is given on this topic. Therefore the paper includes the use of scaled mock-ups (scaled vehicles) within the mechatronic development process in order to satisfy special needs within the experimental verification and validation of future autonomous driving systems.