Altair Case Studies MapleSim's Innovative Hardware-in-the-Loop Real-Time Simulation for Planetary Rovers

	MapleSim's Innovative Hardware-in-the-Loop Real-Time Simulation for Planetary Rovers Altair

MapleSim's Innovative Hardware-in-the-Loop Real-Time Simulation for Planetary Rovers

Altair

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Industries	Electrical Grids Renewable Energy
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Experimentation Automation Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
Services	System Integration Testing & Certification
Challenge	In the space industry, the design, building, and testing of rover prototypes is a costly and time-consuming process. System testing typically does not occur until late in the design/testing process, leading to a long development time. The challenge was to find a way to test components within a simulation loop before a full rover prototype is available. This would create a virtual testing environment for the component under test, tricking it into thinking it is operating within a full prototype. The goal was to progressively add hardware components to the simulation loop as they become available, allowing system testing to take place even without all the hardware components, thereby bridging the gap between the design and testing phases. Read More
About Customer	The customer in this case study is the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), a government agency responsible for all of Canada's civil space-related activities including Canada's contribution to international space programs and partnerships. The CSA aims to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians. The CSA is a sophisticated customer with a deep understanding of space technology and the challenges associated with designing and testing rover prototypes. They were looking for a solution that could reduce the overall development time and allow for component testing under dangerous scenarios without the risk of damaging a full rover prototype. Read More
Solution	Dr. Amir Khajepour and his team at the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Maplesoft, developed a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test platform for solar-powered planetary rovers using MapleSim, a modeling and simulation tool. This platform allows for the simulation of scenarios that are hard to replicate in a lab setup, such as the Martian environment, or components that are not yet available. The MapleSim modeling environment was also used to automatically generate the kinematic equations of the rover, forming the basis for other tasks in the project such as HIL simulations, path planning, and power optimization. A library of rover components was developed within MapleSim and imported within LabView Real-Time where the HIL program and GUI of the simulations were developed. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Applicable Industries

Electrical Grids

Renewable Energy

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Experimentation Automation

Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Services

System Integration

Testing & Certification

Challenge

In the space industry, the design, building, and testing of rover prototypes is a costly and time-consuming process. System testing typically does not occur until late in the design/testing process, leading to a long development time. The challenge was to find a way to test components within a simulation loop before a full rover prototype is available. This would create a virtual testing environment for the component under test, tricking it into thinking it is operating within a full prototype. The goal was to progressively add hardware components to the simulation loop as they become available, allowing system testing to take place even without all the hardware components, thereby bridging the gap between the design and testing phases.

About Customer

The customer in this case study is the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), a government agency responsible for all of Canada's civil space-related activities including Canada's contribution to international space programs and partnerships. The CSA aims to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians. The CSA is a sophisticated customer with a deep understanding of space technology and the challenges associated with designing and testing rover prototypes. They were looking for a solution that could reduce the overall development time and allow for component testing under dangerous scenarios without the risk of damaging a full rover prototype.

Solution

Dr. Amir Khajepour and his team at the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Maplesoft, developed a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test platform for solar-powered planetary rovers using MapleSim, a modeling and simulation tool. This platform allows for the simulation of scenarios that are hard to replicate in a lab setup, such as the Martian environment, or components that are not yet available. The MapleSim modeling environment was also used to automatically generate the kinematic equations of the rover, forming the basis for other tasks in the project such as HIL simulations, path planning, and power optimization. A library of rover components was developed within MapleSim and imported within LabView Real-Time where the HIL program and GUI of the simulations were developed.

Impact #1	The main advantage of this approach is that it significantly reduces the overall development time in the project. It allows for component testing under dangerous scenarios without the risk of damaging a full rover prototype. The modular system setup enables users to quickly change the rover configuration and explore different approaches in a short time. The team was able to create the mathematical model of the 6-wheeled rover without writing down a single equation. The graphical interface of MapleSim allows the model developer to see the model and the moving parts, which is very important in the development process.

Impact #1

The main advantage of this approach is that it significantly reduces the overall development time in the project. It allows for component testing under dangerous scenarios without the risk of damaging a full rover prototype. The modular system setup enables users to quickly change the rover configuration and explore different approaches in a short time. The team was able to create the mathematical model of the 6-wheeled rover without writing down a single equation. The graphical interface of MapleSim allows the model developer to see the model and the moving parts, which is very important in the development process.

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Overview

MapleSim's Innovative Hardware-in-the-Loop Real-Time Simulation for Planetary Rovers

Operational Impact