Case Study: Italian Institute of Technology achieves accurate quadruped robot leg simulation with Hexagon Adams

Accurately simulating a four-legged walking robot with Adams

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) sought to design a new four-legged search and rescue robot but faced the challenge of accurately modeling the complex forces on its leg joints, a task that was too complex and time-consuming with traditional analytical methods. They partnered with Hexagon, leveraging its Adams multibody dynamics simulation software, to address this challenge.

Hexagon's solution involved creating a flexible simulation model of the robot's leg using Adams bushing elements, which accurately reflected the stiffness of real-world joints and bearings. This approach, validated through physical drop tests, resulted in a model with an 80% time saving over the analytical method and provided excellent correlation with experimental measurements for displacement and forces. This successful outcome serves as a critical step for IIT and Hexagon towards simulating the complete robot's performance.

Italian Institute of Technology

Ferdinando Cannella

Head of IIT