gazebo-classic

Gazebo Classic is an open-source 3D robotics simulator that allows users to design, test, and simulate robots in complex indoor and outdoor environments. It provides a robust physics engine, high-quality graphics, and programmatic interfaces for robot control, making it a valuable tool for robotics research and development.

Pros

• Powerful physics simulation with support for various environments and conditions
• Extensive library of robot models and sensors for quick prototyping
• Integration with ROS (Robot Operating System) for seamless robot development
• Active community and extensive documentation for support and learning

Cons

• Steep learning curve for beginners in robotics simulation
• Can be resource-intensive, requiring powerful hardware for complex simulations
• Limited real-time performance in highly complex scenarios
• Some users report occasional stability issues with large-scale simulations

Code Examples

1. Creating a simple world with a ground plane and a box:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<sdf version="1.6">
  <world name="default">
    <include>
      <uri>model://ground_plane</uri>
    </include>
    <model name="box">
      <pose>0 0 0.5 0 0 0</pose>
      <link name="link">
        <collision name="collision">
          <geometry>
            <box>
              <size>1 1 1</size>
            </box>
          </geometry>
        </collision>
        <visual name="visual">
          <geometry>
            <box>
              <size>1 1 1</size>
            </box>
          </geometry>
        </visual>
      </link>
    </model>
  </world>
</sdf>

2. Controlling a robot using the Gazebo API (C++):

#include <gazebo/gazebo.hh>
#include <gazebo/physics/physics.hh>

gazebo::physics::ModelPtr model;
gazebo::event::ConnectionPtr updateConnection;

void OnUpdate()
{
  // Move the robot forward
  model->SetLinearVel(ignition::math::Vector3d(1, 0, 0));
}

void Load(gazebo::physics::WorldPtr _world, sdf::ElementPtr _sdf)
{
  model = _world->ModelByName("robot_model_name");
  updateConnection = gazebo::event::Events::ConnectWorldUpdateBegin(
      std::bind(&OnUpdate));
}

3. Creating a custom Gazebo plugin (C++):

#include <gazebo/gazebo.hh>
#include <gazebo/physics/physics.hh>

namespace gazebo
{
  class MyPlugin : public ModelPlugin
  {
    public: void Load(physics::ModelPtr _model, sdf::ElementPtr _sdf)
    {
      // Plugin initialization code
    }

    // Declare any necessary member variables
  };
  GZ_REGISTER_MODEL_PLUGIN(MyPlugin)
}

Getting Started

1. Install Gazebo Classic:

   sudo apt-get install gazebo11
   

2. Create a simple world file (e.g., my_world.world) using the XML example provided above.

3. Launch Gazebo with your custom world:

   gazebo my_world.world
   

4. Explore the Gazebo GUI and start building your simulation environment.