Simulation-based Control and Simulation-based Support in eRobotics Applications

The utilization of simulation capabilities in the development process of robotic systems is already known as one standard procedure for predicting complex system behavior in a time- and cost efficient manner. eRobotics join multiple process simulation components to build "Virtual Testbeds" to provide a comprehensive tool chain and thus a holistic development. VTB may represent "mental models" of robotic systems and their environment. Therefore, they allow the development of control schemes and directly transfer simulation results for Simulation-based Control for implementing intelligent robot controls. Using Simulation-based Support, the VTBs support the ease of use of robotic systems and also the operators in their decisions. Offering an additional abstraction layer for the user, virtual representations of the robot and its environment are used to intuitively control and maneuver intelligent robotic systems. Thus, Simulation-based Control and Simulation-based Support complement each other and are promising development tools for robotic systems, individual parts thereof as well as systems in their entirety. In our contribution, we present the concepts of SbC and SbS in more detail, by examples of several complex robotic systems such as a Motion Simulator, lightweight robots and a mobile Centaur-like teleoperated robot.