Robotic Subsystem Testing Using an Adaptively Controlled Dynamically Substructured Framework

The principle of dynamically substructured system (DSS) testing is receiving worldwide interest in a number of diverse fields. A major feature of the DSS method is that it allows physical components of a system to be tested, whilst the remaining parts are numerically simulated in real-time. For DSS testing to be viable, interaction constraints and precise dynamic synchronization must be maintained at the interfaces between the physical and numerical parts, which can only be achieved by the use of high performance control algorithms. This paper introduces the concept of DSS and its control, showing how the technique can be used for the design and testing of robotic system components. Nonlinear simulation results are included in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.