Mobile robot simulators and their application to hazardous and
challenging environments
IARP/EURON Workshop on Robotics for Risky Interventions and Environmental Surveillance
January 7th-8th, 2008 - Benicàssim (Spain)
L. Nomdedeu, J. Sales, E. Cervera, J. Alemany,R. Sebastia, K. McAllister
Overview
• Introduction
• The Player / Stage / Gazebo tools
• Installation and configuration
• Setting up a scenario
• Conclusion and future work
Introduction: motivation
• Multiple robot platforms and sensors.
• Cross-platform development.
• Reuse of robot software
• Simulation aid:– evaluation of algorithms– training
Introduction: related work
• Mobile platforms:– K-team Khepera– Pioneer / Erratic– Robotnik rescuer
• Robot Development Environments.
• Proprietary versus Open Source.
• Mobile robot simulators.
• 2D versus 3D.
Introduction: list of choices
• Open Source:– Orocos– Player / Stage (2D) / Gazebo (3D)– Carmen– Marie– USARSim (3D)
• Proprietary:– Robot manufacturers– Microsoft Robotics Studio
Player / Stage / Gazebo tools
• Open-Source, cross-platform, active.
• Player robot device interface– N mobile platforms– M sensors– Algorithm drivers (amcl, vfh, ...)
• Tools
• Stage 2D simulator
• Gazebo 3D simulator
Player architecture
Player tools
[Vaughan & Gerkey 07]
Stage 2D simulator
[Vaughan & Gerkey 07]
Stage 2D simulator
[Vaughan & Gerkey 07]
Gazebo 3D simulator
[Vaughan & Gerkey 07]
Installation and configuration
• System requirements:– Standard Linux box– Native Windows version planned
• Installing:– Package distribution– Source compilation– CVS
A Windows solution• Virtualization.• Any host + Linux P/S guest.• Free (not open) Virtual Machine software.• Full-equipped Linux on a CD (or website).• System requirements:
– Non-administrative user account– Modern CPU– 1 GB RAM, 10 GB hard disk
Setting up a scenario• World:
– Bitmap / vector map
• Models:– Mobile platforms– Sensors
• Configuration:– Devices and interfaces– Algorithms
Warehouse fire in 1999 in Worcester (USA)http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications
• Configuration file
• World file
• Map file
Warehouse fire in 1999 in Worcester (USA)http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications
Conclusion and future work
• Player abstraction layer for development.• Player robot device interface.• Stage 2D simulator.• Player algorithm repository.• Installation on any host computer.• Definition of scenarios in Guardians.
Conclusion and future work
