Mobile robots and wheelchairs control navigation design using virtual simulator tools

This work presents the virtual environment implementation for project simulation and conception of supervision and control systems for mobile robots, which are capable of operating and adapting in different environments and conditions. The purpose of this virtual system is to facilitate the development of embedded architecture systems, emphasizing the implementation of tools that allow the simulation of the kinematic conditions, dynamic and control, with real time monitoring of all important system points. To accomplish this, an open control architecture is proposed, integrating the two main techniques of robotic control implementation in the hardware level: systems microprocessors and reconfigurable hardware devices. The utilization of a hierarchic and open architecture, distributing the diverse actions of control in increasing levels of complexity, the use of resources of reconfigurable computation are made in a virtual simulator for mobile robots. The validation of this environment is made in a nonholonomic mobile robot and in a wheelchair; both used an embedded control rapid prototyping technical for best navigation strategy implementation. After being tested and validated in the simulator, the control system is programmed in the control board memory of the mobile robot or wheelchair. In this way, an economy of time and material are obtained, sooner validating the entire model virtually for later operating the physical implementation of the navigation system.