NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designs robotic systems for space missions, ranging from spacecraft doors to Mars rover robotic arms. Building and testing these systems is expensive, so engineers need methods to predict performance before creating physical prototypes. Current approaches rely on simple calculations and past experience, which fail to capture how components interact or behave dynamically. We developed a digital simulation tool to address this challenge.
Our team created a software interface that helps engineers simulate actuator performance and make early design decisions more confidently. We determined the necessary scope and accuracy for these simulations to meet JPL’s needs. We created computer models of motors, mechanisms, and control electronics, then integrated them into a unified simulation program using MATLAB, Simulink, and System Composer.
To validate our software, we employed digital twin comparison. We built a physical mechanism and compared its real-world performance against our computer model’s predictions. Our tool allows engineers to modify motor settings, mechanisms, or controllers within the software and instantly observe how these changes affect overall system performance. The program helps identify whole-system behavior and detect errors early in development.
This tool saves resources and accelerates spacecraft design by providing JPL engineers with comprehensive information about design choices before committing expensive resources to physical builds. It enables analysis of system interactions that were previously impractical to evaluate, ultimately supporting more informed engineering decisions during early design phases.
