Modular snake robot oriented open simulation software

To complement the theoretical research that exploits the locomotion capabilities of Modular Snake Robots, a large collection of tools are required to validate the models and controllers designed for that purpose. In our research, most of these validation processes require the real robot prototypes to perform experiments that are time consuming and in a variety of cases compromise the robot's mechanical structure. To overcome this last issue a simulation software arises as a tool that allows researches to face controller design processes and experimentation in a safe manner. The robot Lola-OP™, designed by our company and released as an open research platform, serves as the main virtual character for the first version of our modular snake robot simulation software. Main components of this set of simulation software tools correspond to the physics engine, the graphics engine, the environment definition and the communication module that allow the inputs to the simulator, data to be retrieved and the integration with a major control software architecture used with the real robot.