Simulation and experimental testing of locomotion characteristics of a vibration-driven system with a solenoid-type actuator

Solenoids are commonly used in numerous industrial applications, where they convert electrical energy into mechanical motion. The present paper is focused on implementing a solenoid-type actuator in vibration-driven locomotion systems. The primary purpose of this study is simulation and experimental testing of the dynamic behavior of a wheeled vibratory robot taking into account the operational conditions of a solenoid-type vibration exciter. The research methodology involves the use of the SolidWorks software to simulate the robot’s locomotion, TinkerCAD software – to model the operation of a solenoid’s control system, and experimental investigations – to test the kinematic characteristics of the full-scale prototype of the vibration-driven robot. The results obtained by means of computer simulation and experimental studies are presented as time plots, displaying the robot’s body displacement, speed, and acceleration at different operational conditions of the solenoid-type actuator. The major scientific novelty of the present study consists in further development and improvement of the existent excitation principles and simulation models of the vibration-driven locomotion systems and wheeled robots. The obtained results are valuable for researchers and engineers working on investigating and designing of various vibratory locomotion systems, e.g., for pipeline inspection and cleaning.