Any tool in Matlab to plot graphically a 2-d manipulator with elastic joint?

Hi everyone,

I have a set of coordinate points in 2-d dimension, and the angular velocity of the joints of a manipulator with elastic joint.

Exist any tool where "I can just" insert coordinates and angular velocity to see graphically what happen? Something more interesting from a graphic point of view instead of plotting simple lines.

Thanks to those who want to help me.

Answer 1

[Simar]

Hi Andrea,

I understand that you are looking for a tool for visualizing manipulator motion with elastic joints, incorporating both position (via coordinate points) and dynamics (e.g., angular velocity), suitable for kinematic and dynamic simulations.

MATLAB and Simulink offer comprehensive environments for such tasks, especially with the addition of Robotics System Toolbox and Simscape Multibody. Here is how you can approach this-

• MATLAB Robotics System Toolbox: The toolbox excels in robot kinematics, dynamics, and visualization but may not fully meet needs for detailed visualization of manipulators with elastic joints and angular velocities directly from coordinates.
• Simscape Multibody: It is an extension of Simulink, allows for 3D modelling of rigid mechanical systems, including manipulators with elastic joints. It supports defining joint types and motion characteristics, such as angular velocities, and offers a 3D visualization tool which caters to your interest in for detailed graphical representations beyond basic line plots.

Refer to the steps below on using Simscape Multibody:

• Model the manipulator by defining rigid body links, joint types, elasticity, and setting angular velocities through Simulink for dynamic modelling.
• Visualize and analyze the manipulator in 3D to study its motion, including trajectories and joint behaviour.
• Employ MATLAB for initial setup and analysis, covering calculations, data preparation, and result visualization. The process from model setup to simulation and analysis is fully scriptable in MATLAB.

Please refer to the following documentation links-

• Simscape Multibody- https://www.mathworks.com/products/simscape-multibody.html
• Getting Started with Simscape Multibody- https://www.mathworks.com/help/sm/getting-started-with-simmechanics.html
• Robotics System Toolbox- https://www.mathworks.com/help/robotics/index.html?searchHighlight=robotics%20system%20toolbox&s_tid=srchtitle_support_results_1_robotics%20system%20toolbox

Hope this helps!

Best Regards,

Simar