Automatic Modelica Package and Model Generation from Templates and Data Files with Python, Exemplified with URDF

Abstract

Creating correct Modelica models and packages fromtemplates and data files describing a multi-physics systemis useful in numerous situations. For example, in layingout power plants, designing airplane air conditioning orchemical reactions. This publication shows twopossibilities of doing this with an example from roboticsdesign and simulation. The URDFModelica library containstemplates for links, joints and whole robots that can bemobile or stationary. The library also has a Python scriptthat takes a valid URDF file as input. With minimal manualprocessing of this input file, a complete robot simulationpackage is created automatically. Alternatively, the inputfile, translated to a Modelica record, can be used to setthe parameters and connections of a generic robot model.The URDFModelica library has already been successfully usedfor quick generation of first Modelica simulations ofexisting robots or robots yet to be fully developed. Thegeneral structure and approach can be adapted to otherapplication domains without much effort. It is planned torelease URDFModelica as open source Modelica library.