Flexible Modular Robotic Simulation Environment For Research And Education

Abstract

In this paper a novel GUI for a modular robots simulation environment is introduced. The GUI is intended to be used by unexperienced users that take part in an educational workshop as well as by experienced researchers who want to work on the topic of control algorithms of modular robots with the help of a framework. It offers two modes for the two kinds of users. Each mode makes it possible to configure everything needed with a graphical interface and stores configurations in XML files. Furthermore, the GUI not only supports importing the user’s control algorithms, but also provides online modulation for these algorithms. Some learning techniques such as genetic algorithms and reinforcement learning are also integrated into the GUI for locomotion optimization. Thus, its easy to use, and its scalability makes it suitable for research and education.