Three-Dimensional Visualization of Articulated Mechanisms: Coupling of Their Dynamic and Virtual Models Using the Example of Driving of the Omnidirectional Mobile Robot

This paper proposes a novel approach to the virtual 3D modeling of articulated mechanisms. It follows the widespread use of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) for various applications and defines a version of XML that is specially designed for the description of 3D geometric models of articulated bodies. In addition, it shows how the 3D geometric model of a mechanism can be gradually developed through the use of suitably defined elements and stored in a corresponding XML file. The developed XML model is processed, and using a powerful VTK (Visualization Toolkit) library, the corresponding virtual model is built and shown on the computer screen. To drive the virtual model, the dynamic model of the mechanism is developed using Bond Graph modeling techniques. Virtual 3D geometric and dynamic models are created using the corresponding software packages: BonSim3D 2023 Visual and BondSim 2023. The models are interconnected by a two-way named pipe. During the simulation of the dynamic model, the parameters necessary to drive the virtual model (e.g., the joint displacements) are collected and sent to the virtual model over the pipe. When the virtual model receives a package, the computer screen is updated by showing the new state of the mechanism. The approach is demonstrated using the example of a holonomic omnidirectional mobile robot.