Structural Safety Evaluation and Co-simulation-based Control Verification of a Mobile Robot for Ship Block Pretreatment

The pretreatment process in shipbuilding is essential for ensuring coating quality but involves hazardous working conditions, necessitating the introduction of automated systems. However, conventional automation systems have limitations in navigating the complex, unstructured interiors of ship blocks, such as areas with longitudinals bulkheads and flanges. This study proposes a mobile manipulator robot designed to perform blasting and blowing tasks within these environments and validates its design feasibility based on computer-aided engineering. Finite element and multibody dynamics analyses confirmed structural safety and determined required actuator capacities in extreme scenarios, while co-simulation results demonstrated that closed-loop control significantly improves driving stability on irregular flange terrains. This study provides a verified design framework for mobile robots in automated shipbuilding processes, ultimately contributing to enhanced worker safety and operational efficiency in hazardous environments.