A CAD-based contact force simulator as a learning tool for compliant motions

A graphical and interactive simulator for reaction forces between a robot´s end-effector and objects in the environment is presented. The simulator relies on the geometrical information available in a commercial CAD package, and on some basic physical properties such as the compliance of the wrist force sensor. It is fully compatible with state-of-the-art control and specification formalisms as used for real force-controlled robots, and its performance is real-time on a graphical workstation. This results in a powerful learning tool for the interactive or automatic derivation and tuning of the large set of specification and control parameters appearing in force-controlled compliant motions. The physical and algorithmic principles underlying the compliant motion simulator are outlined. Some examples show how the simulator can help the user to understand the influence of all parameters to be tuned while programming a compliant motion task