An integrated process for design and control of lunar robotics using AI and simulation
Daniel Lindmark, Jonas Andersson, Kenneth Bodin, Tora Bodin, Hugo Börjesson, Fredrik Nordfeldth, Martin Servin
Published: 2025/9/15
Abstract
We envision an integrated process for developing lunar construction equipment, where physical design and control are explored in parallel. In this paper, we describe a technical framework that supports this process. It relies on OpenPLX, a readable/writable declarative language that links CAD-models and autonomous systems to high-fidelity, real-time 3D simulations of contacting multibody dynamics, machine regolith interaction forces, and non-ideal sensors. To demonstrate its capabilities, we present two case studies, including an autonomous lunar rover that combines a vision-language model for navigation with a reinforcement learning-based control policy for locomotion.