A framework for distributed simulation of multirobot systems

This paper is devoted to discuss the major features a simulator for multirobot systems must show, in order to be effectively useful for setting up and debug the behavior of a real system. The paper also describe VLAB (Virtual LABoratory), a simulation system that allows the simulation of distributed multirobot systems using a set of computers connected by a LAN. Users can specify the control software and the morphology of more robots that share the same simulation environment. A visual representation of the behavior of all the robots and of the environment is obtained. Users can walk into this virtual laboratory to better observe the system evolution. VLAB allows different users to instantiate their own robotic agents for testing and debugging their coordination and their cooperative strategies.