Robotic simulator software comparison (Gazebo,V-rep,etc)

• zhihu

• Robotics simulator(WIKI)

General information

Software	Developers	Development status	License	3D rendering engine	Physics engine	3D modeller	Platforms supported
Actin	Energid Technologies	Active	Proprietary	OpenGL	Proprietary	Proprietary	Windows, macOS, Linux, VxWorks, and RTOS-32. (RTX and QNX Planned)
ARS	RAL	Active	BSD	VTK	ODE	None	Linux, macOS, Windows
Gazebo	Open Source Robotics Foundation(OSRF)[1]	Active	Apache 2.0	OGRE	ODE/Bullet/Simbody/DART	Internal	Linux, macOS, Windows
MORSE	Academic community[2]	Active	BSD	Blender game engine	Bullet	Blender	Linux, BSD*, macOS
OpenHRP	AIST	Active	Eclipse	Java3D	ODE/Internal	Internal[3]	Linux, Windows
RoboDK	RoboDK	Active	Proprietary	OpenGL	none	Internal	Linux, macOS, Windows, Android
SimSpark	O. Obst et al. (+26)	Active	GNU GPL (v2)	Internal	ODE	None	Linux, macOS, Windows
V-Rep	Coppelia Robotics	Active	Proprietary/GNU GPL	Internal	ODE/Bullet/Vortex	Internal	Linux, macOS, Windows
Webots	Cyberbotics	Active	Proprietary	OGRE	custom version of ODE	Internal	Linux, macOS, Windows
4DV-Sim	4D Virtualiz	Active	Proprietary	OGRE	PhysX	Internal	Linux
OpenRAVE	OpenRAVE Community	Active	GNU LGPL	Coin3D/OpenSceneGraph	ODE/Bullet	Internal	Linux, macOS, Windows
Software	Developers	Development status	License	3D rendering engine	Physics engine	3D modeller	Platforms supported

Technical information

Software	Main programming language	Formats support	Extensibility	External APIs	Robotics middleware support	Primary user interface	Headless simulation
Actin	C++	SLDPRT,SLDASM, STEP, OBJ, STL, 3DS, Collada, VRML, URDF, XML, ECD, ECP, ECW, ECX, ECZ,	Plugins (C++), API	Unknown	None	GUI	Yes (ActinRT)
ARS	Python	Unknown	Python	Unknown	None	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	C++	SDF[4]/URDF[5]	Plugins (C++)	C++	ROS, Player, Sockets (protobuf messages)	GUI	Yes
MORSE	Python	Unknown	Python	Python[6]	Sockets, YARP, ROS, Pocolibs, MOOS	Command-line	Yes[7]
OpenHRP	C++	VRML	Plugins (C++), API	C/C++, Python, Java	OpenRTM-aist	GUI	Unknown
RoboDK	Python	STEP, IGES, STL, WRML	Plugins (C++), API	C/C++, Python, Matlab	Socket	GUI	Unknown
SimSpark	C++, Ruby	Ruby Scene Graphs	Mods (C++)	Network (sexpr)	Sockets (sexpr)	GUI, Sockets	Unknown
V-Rep	LUA	OBJ,STL, DXF, 3DS, Collada,[8] URDF[5][9]	API, Add-ons, Plugins	C/C++, Python, Java, Urbi, Matlab/Octave	Sockets, ROS	GUI	Yes[10]
Webots	C++	WBT, VRML'97	Plugins (C++), API	C/C++, Python, Java, Matlab	ROS, URBI, NaoQI	GUI	Yes[11]
4DV-Sim	C++	3DS,OBJ, Mesh	Plugins (C++), API	FMI/FMU, Matlab	ROS, Sockets, Plug & Play interfaces[12]	GUI	Yes
OpenRAVE	C++, Python	XML,VRML,OBJ, Collada	Plugins (C++), API	C/C++, Python, Matlab	Sockets, ROS, YARP	GUI, Sockets	Yes
Software	Main programming language	Formats support	Extensibility	External APIs	Robotic middleware support	Primary user interface	Headless simulation

Infrastructure

Support

Software	Mailing List	API Documentation	Public Forum/Help System	User Manual	Issue Tracker	Wiki
Actin	No	Yes	No	Yes[13]	Yes (Internal)	No
ARS	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	Yes[14]	Yes[15]	Yes[16]	Yes[17]	Yes[18]	Yes[19]
MORSE	Yes[20]	N/A	No	Yes[21]	Yes[22]	No
OpenHRP	Yes[23]	Yes[24]	No	Yes[25]	Yes[26]	No
RoboDK	Yes[27]	Yes[28]	No	Yes[29]	No	No
SimSpark	Yes[30]	Yes[31]	No	Yes[32]	Yes[33]	Yes[34]
V-Rep	No	Yes[35]	Yes[36]	Yes[37]	Unknown	No
Webots	No	Yes[38]	Yes[39]	Yes[40]	Yes[41]	Yes[42][better source needed]
4DV-Sim	Yes[43]	No	Yes[44]	Yes	Yes[45]	No
OpenRAVE	Yes[46]	Yes[47]	Yes[48]	Yes[49]	Yes[50]	Yes[51]
Software	Mailing List	API Documentation	Public Forum/Help System	User Manual	Issue Tracker	Wiki

Code Quality

Software	Static Code Checker	Style Checker	Test System(s)	Test Function coverage	Test Branch coverage	Lines of Code	Lines of Comments	Continuous Integration
Actin	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Jenkins
ARS	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	cppcheck	cpplint	gtest and qtest	46.1%	34.3%	190.7k	60.45k	Jenkins
MORSE	N/A	pylint	Python unittests	Unknown	Unknown	31.4k[52]	9.0k	Jenkins, Travis
OpenHRP	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
RoboDK	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
SimSpark	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
V-Rep	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Webots	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
4DV-Sim	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
OpenRAVE	Unknown	Unknown	Python nose	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Jenkins [53]
Software	Static Code Checker	Style Checker	Test System(s)	Test Function coverage	Test Branch coverage	Lines of Code	Lines of Comments	Continuous Integration

Features

Software	CAD to Motion	Dynamic Collision Avoidance	Relative End Effectors	Off-Line Programming	Real-Time Streaming Control
Actin	Yes (Tool Paths)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ARS	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
Gazebo	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
MORSE	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
OpenHRP	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
RoboDK	Unknown	No	Unknown	Yes	No
SimSpark	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
V-Rep	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
Webots	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
4DV-Sim	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
OpenRAVE	Unknown	No	Unknown	No	No
Software	CAD to Motion	Dynamic Collision Avoidance	Relative End Effectors	Off-line Programming	Real-time Streaming Control

Families of robots

Software	UGV (ground mobile robot)	UAV (aerial robots)	AUV (underwater robots)	Robotic arms	Robotic hands (grasping simulation)	Humanoid robots	Human avatars
Actin	Yes (Can Include Manipulators)	Yes (Can Include Manipulators)	Yes (Can Include Manipulators)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ARS	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	Yes	Yes	Yes[54]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MORSE	Yes	Yes	Partial[55]	Some[56]	No	No	Yes
OpenHRP	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RoboDK	No	No	No	Yes[57]	No	No	No
SimSpark	Yes	No	No	Maybe	Maybe	Yes	No
V-Rep	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Webots	Yes	Yes	Yes[58]	Yes	Yes	Yes[59]	Yes
4DV-Sim	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Maybe	No	Yes
OpenRAVE	Yes	Unknown	Unknown	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Software	UGV (ground mobile robot)	UAV (aerial robots)	AUV (underwater robots)	Robotic arms	Robotic hands (grasping simulation)	Humanoid robots	Human avatars

Supported actuators

Software	Generic kinematic chains	Force-controlled motion	Full list	Circular kinematic chains	Kinematically redundant chains	Bifurcated kinematic chains
Actin	Yes	Yes	Motion Constraints	Yes	Yes	Yes
ARS	Unknown	Unknown		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	Yes	Yes		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
MORSE	Yes[60]	Yes	MORSE actuators	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
OpenHRP	Yes	Yes		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
RoboDK	Unknown	Unknown		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
SimSpark	Yes	No	SimSpark effectors	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
V-Rep	Yes	Yes		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Webots	Yes	Yes		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
4DV-Sim	Yes	Yes		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
OpenRAVE	Yes	Yes	Joints,Extra Actuators	Yes[61]	Yes	Yes[62]
Software	Generic kinematic chains	Force-controlled motion	Full list	Circular kinematic chains	Kinematically redundant chains	Bifurcated kinematic chains

Supported sensors

Software	Odometry	IMU	Collision	GPS	Monocular cameras	Stereo cameras	Depth cameras	Omnidirectional cameras	2D laser scanners	3D laser scanners	Full list
Actin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ARS	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gazebo	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes
MORSE	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes[63]	MORSE sensors
OpenHRP	Unknown	Yes[64]	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes[65]	OpenHRP sensors
RoboDK	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
SimSpark	Yes	Yes	Yes[66]	Partial[67]	Yes	Partial	Unknown	Unknown	No	No	SimSpark perceptors
V-Rep	Unknown	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes
Webots	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes
4DV-Sim	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
OpenRAVE	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unknown	Yes	Yes
Software	Odometry	IMU	Collision	GPS	Monocular cameras	Stereo cameras	Depth cameras	Omnidirectional cameras	2D laser scanners	3D laser scanners	Full list

• Most Advanced Robotics Simulation Software Overview

Benefits of simulation

• Reduce costs involved in robot production;
• Diagnose source code that controls a particular resource or a mix of resources;
• Simulate various alternatives without involving physical costs;
• Robot or components can be tested before implementation;
• Simulation can be done in stages, beneficial for complex projects;
• Demonstration of a system to determine if is viable or not;
• Compatibility with a wide range of programming languages;
• Shorter delivery times.

Disadvantages of simulation

• An application can simulate just what it is programmed to simulate – it will not simulate internal or external factors which are overlooked in the development phase;
• A robot can encounter many more scenarios in the real world than there can be simulated.

• http://www.ausy.tu-darmstadt.de/uploads/Site/EditPublication/ivaldi2014simulators.pdf(Tools for simulating humanoid robot dynamics:)

Abstract

— The number of tools for dynamics simulation has

grown substantially in the last few years. Humanoid robots,

in particular, make extensive use of such tools for a variety

of applications, from simulating contacts to planning complex

motions. It is necessary for the humanoid robotics community

to have a systematic evaluation to assist in choosing which

of the available tools is best for their research. This paper

surveys the state of the art in dynamics simulation and

reports on the analysis of an online survey about the use

of dynamics simulation in the robotics research community.

The major requirements for robotics researchers are better

physics engines and open-source software. Despite the numerous

tools, there is not a general-purpose simulator which dominates

the others in terms of performance or application. However,

for humanoid robotics, Gazebo emerges as the best choice

among the open-source projects, while V-Rep is the prefered

commercial simulator. The survey report has been instrumental

for choosing Gazebo as the base for the new simulator for the iCub humanoid robot