Robotics simulator

A robotics simulator is used to create embedded applications for a specific (or not) robot without be dependent of the 'real' robot. In some case, these applications can be transferred on the real robot (or rebuilt) without modifications. Robotics simulators allow to reproduce situations that you cannot 'create' in the reality because cost, time, or the 'unique' resource.

Features

Modern simulators tend to provide the following features:

• Fast robot prototyping
  • Using the own simulator as creation tool (Webots).
  • Using external tools (Gazebo uses Blender).
• Physics engines for realistic movements. Most simulators uses ODE (Gazebo, Marilou, Webots) or PhysX (Microsoft).
• Realistic 3d rendering. Standard 3d modeling tools or third party tools can be used to build the environments.
• Dynamic robot bodies with scripting. URBI language used by Webots, Python used by Gazebo.

Simulators

Open source simulators

• Gazebo: Probably the most complete open source simulator to this writting (2008-01-31). Part of the Player project.
• OpenSim Simulator for articulated and wheeled robots with a wide range of characteristics. Further development stopped in the year 2006.

Research simulators

• UWA Robot Simulators

Comercial simulators

• Marilou Robotics Studio
• Webots
• Microsoft Robotics Studio
• Visual Components)