I'm considering a robot simulator on a PC, that would use the actual code that our robot uses. Kind of a development tool the programmers could use while the robot is still in pieces.
The ultimate simulator would actually involve a robot controller and operator interface, where the robot controller inputs and outputs would feed into the PC. Signals sent into and out of the PC would affect the simulated robot; for example PWM 5 and 6 are the drive motors. Positive values on those signals would move the robot forward, etc. If the virtual 'bot hits some defined limit on an arm, the switch discrete would set in the PC, and that would feed back into the controller, so the software could react.
This would be a great way to test software, and if the fidelity was high enough, refine control laws, timing, and could even do failure analysis.
Has anyone else built something like this?
Ted
Mentor / Engineer,
Team 486 Strath Haven High School
Positronic Panthers
http://www.gotrobot.org