Open Source Software for the Simulation of Mechatronic Systems Workshop

HOTINT is a multi-purpose simulation software for both research and industrial applications with a focus on the mechanical modeling and analysis of multibody systems. Its core features aim at an equally detailed and efficient representation of complex systems comprising both rigid and flexible components. In recent years, the functionality has been extended beyond a purely mechanical perspective. Today, HOTINT allows the modeling and simulation of mechatronic systems which typically contain various kinds of not necessarily mechanical components, in particular, sensors actuators and the control system connecting the former. In addition to static, dynamic and modal analysis of multibody systems, HOTINT offers automated parameter identification and optimization algorithms. This workshop intends to provide a brief overview of the scope of problems that can be modeled using HOTINT. In a hands-on tutorial, the interested user is guided through the core features, starting from the setup of parameterized, hierarchical models by means of a simple, yet powerful, script language, to the intuitive manipulation in the graphical user interface, to the analysis of mechatronic multibody systems. Special emphasis is laid on aspects related to the realization of control systems either directly in HOTINT or via coupling to third-party software, e.g., MATLAB/Simulink.