Virtual Prototyping

It all started with LEGO!

LEGO Mindstorms

Open Hardware

Open Software

It was very exciting at first

but I had 40 students with

3 sets of LEGO!

Amazing!

We realized that before making the robot, there are lots of things that we need to learn.

There are a few other Simulink models for LEGO Mindstorms but what if we want to build our own robot?

We need a virtual LEGO to build any robot that we could imagine.

We built one!

• ODE (Open Dynamics Engine)
• IrrLicht (Visualization)

Rapid Prototyping

Saves

• resources
• money
• time

Simulation (Virtual Prototyping)

• Software Simulation
• Hardware in the Loop Simulation
• Hardware Prototype

Software Simulation

High level languages such as

• Maple\MapleSim
• MATLAB\Simulink

Easy to develop

Hard to Implement on Hardware

For real-time implementation on hardware

the code should be rewritten or transformed.

• Time consuming
• Prone to bugs

Software in the Loop

The virtual model and the controller are two different applications.

The applications "talk" to each other using a "middleware".

What is important is how parts interact.

• The same code controls the virtual and the real model
• Easily switch between the virtual and the real model
• Reduces the time required for developement
• Less prone to bugs

Virtual Prototype

MORSE

UAV controller is in Oroccos

and talks to the UAV in YARP.

Robot controller is in GeNoM

and talks to the robot in Pocolibs.

UAV controller talks

to the robot controller in YARP.

Each of these programs

can run on a different computer.

MORSE

• been developed for Linux
• Still under development
• Blender and Python are going through major changes
• will become much better than what it is now

ROS

ROS for Simulation

• Player Project
• Stage
• Gazebo (ODE)

ROS

• has been used much more than MORSE
• again works only under Linux
• not easy to install, different versions of Linux and ROS

Developed by NIST

USARSim contains the virtual environment

• Robots
• Cars
• Airplanes
• Sensors
• Actuator

You can "talk" to USARSim by TCP/IP.

Therefore the controller can be in

• Python
• Maple
• MATLAB
• Java
• C++

We developed a MATLAB Toolbox for USARSim. Now, it is possible to have software in the loop simulations with the controller in MATLAB and the system in USARSim.

USARSim

Unified System for Automation and Robot Simulation

Based on Unreal Game Engine

IEEE ICRA Virtual Manufacturing Competition

Robocup Rescue Simulation

Robotic Operating System

There was a MATLAB Toolbox before ours but it was mainly in Java and lacked some features.

Conclusion

This is very cool!

What do you think?

Share your thoughts with me

behzad@mechatronics3d.com

Virtual Prototyping

Open Source

3D Creation Tool: Blender

Modern Path

Concept

Characters

Virtual Prototype

No

Test

Yes

Conventional Path

Product

Concept

Design

No

Test

Build

Yes

Product

3D Game Engine

3D Movies

Vehicles

Middleware

Physics Engine

Scripting Language

Behzad Samadi

www.mechatronics3d.com

Modular Open Robots Simulation Engine