ROS2 and Unity based Simulation for telepresence robot

Abstract

Telepresence robots have emerged as a new and innovative means of interaction in remote environments. However, there is great complexity in the design and verification process for the development of telepresence robots because they integrate several interconnected systems. A computer simulation can provide an essential virtual test space that allows understanding the operation of these robots in a safer and more efficient way. The motivation for this study is the lack of computer simulations in the literature that integrate all the systems that are part of telepresence robots. Therefore, the main contribution of this paper is to propose a telepresence robot simulation program developed using the ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2) and Unity platforms, integrating the navigation, localization and telecommunication systems that are part of these robots and to provide any user with a tool to test these robots during the design process. The simulation can be viewed and controlled through a web browser tab. The implementation of ROS2 and Unity proved to be useful to add custom visualizations. The simulation of the navigation and localization systems was tested and compared with a similar simulation program in the literature, showing a better than expected functional performance.