Telerobot control and real-time simulation environment using parallel processing

Simulation can reduce some of the hardware demands of telerobot systems but, to date, a heavy commitment to computer hardware has been required to produce a real-time response. Parallel processing of a balanced division of the Newton-Euler formulation on transputers is used to perform real-time dynamic simulation for a 7 d.o.f. robot. Comparative times for the transputer and other parallel processors are also given. Practical interfaces are derived for robot hardware, other features of the practical system which are developed include data storage and transferral strategies and also a graphical interface to the user on a PC displaying real-time force and position information. Approaches to the practical difficulties of identification and real-time simulation of complex friction effects are also examined