RVS4W: A VISUALIZATION TOOL FOR ROBOT DESIGN

Abstract

The Robot Visualization System for Windows (RVS4W) is a cross-platform version of its predecessor, the Robot Visualization System (RVS). Both RVS and RVS4W were developed at McGill University’s Centre for Intelligent Machines. Although RVS4W is equally useful for design as well as for manufacturing purposes, it is also intended as an educational tool. It combines superb 3-D graphics with a user-friendly window-driven environment. RVS4W can provide quantitative information such as the characteristic length, the maximum reach, the optimum posture and the robot conditioning of a given robot. RVS4W is freeware, open-source and platform-independent. The package is a small-sized stand-alone application which makes it very easy to distribute and install, with no stringent hardware requirements. An elaborate User’s Manual of RVS4W is also available for free downloading. The above-mentioned features make RVS4W a valuable pedagogical tool in robotics.