Introduction to V-REP

virtuel robot experimentation platform

by Ma thia s Thor

This presentation is inspired by the official V-REP presentation and the official website
Content

❏ V-REP Overview

❏ Scene Objects

❏ Ca lcula tion Modules

❏ Control Mecha nis ms

❏ Extra

❏ Sta rting your own project in GoRobots

❏ Ques tions a nd Getting Sta rted

V-REP Overview

What is it? Genera l purpos e robot s imula tor with integra ted
development environment
V-REP Overview

What is it? Genera l purpos e robot s imula tor with integra ted
development environment

What can it do ? Sens ors , mecha nis ms , robots a nd whole s ys tems

ca n be modelled a nd s imula ted in va rious wa ys
V-REP Overview

What is it? Genera l purpos e robot s imula tor with integra ted
development environment

What can it do ? Sens ors , mecha nis ms , robots a nd whole s ys tems

ca n be modelled a nd s imula ted in va rious wa ys

Typical applications ? Fa s t prototyping a nd verifica tion

Controller development
Ha rdwa re control
Simula tion of fa ctory a utoma tion s ys tems
Sa fety monitoring
Product pres enta tion
etc.
Three Central Elements

Scene Ca lcula tion

Objects Modules

Control
Mecha nis ms
Scene Objects

Scene Calculation
Ba s ic building blocks Objects Modules

14 different types

Ca n be combined with ea ch other

Ca n form complex s ys tems together with Control
ca lcula tion modules a nd control Mecha nis m s
mecha nis ms
Scene Objects

Scene
Objects
Shapes and Dummies

Shapes
Ra ndom mes h, convex mes h, primitive mes h, or heightfield mes h
Ca n be grouped/ ungrouped (also merged)
Optimized for fa s t ca lcula tions

Dummies
Auxilia ry reference fra me & helper object
Joints and Force/ Torque Sensors

Joints
Revolute-type • Pris ma tic-type • Screw-type • Spherica l-type
Velocity, pos ition, s pring/ da mper or force controlled
Beha vior is controlled by phys ica l engine
Ea s y to do invers e kinema tics

Force/Torque Sensors
Mea s ures force a nd torque
Ca n conditionally brea k a pa rt
Us ed to ‘glue’ rigid pa rts together
(not as s trong as grouping, but keeps individual dynam ics )
Cameras, Lights, and Mirrors

Cameras
Pers pective / orthogra phic projection
Tra cking & a utoma tic view-fitting
function

Lights
Spotlight / directiona l / omnidirectiona l

Mirrors
Mirror or s cene / object clipping function
Cameras, Lights, and Mirrors
Proximity Sensors

More tha n s imple ra y-type detection

Configura ble detection volume
Ca n be us ed to model a lmos t a ny type of proximity s ens or, from ultra s onic to
infra red, a nd s o on.
Graphs

Time gra phs • X/ Y gra phs • 3D curves • Ca n be exported

Us eful debugging tool!

Vision Sensors

Integra ted ima ge proces s ing • Ra y-tra ced rendering a ls o a va ila ble
Paths and Mills

Paths
6 dim. tra jectory definition
Genera te a pa th from the edge
of a s ha pe.

Mills
Cus tomiza ble cutting volume
Cuts s ha pes (i.e. mes hes )
Octrees and Point Clouds

Point Clouds
Point conta iner
Calculation modules

Scene Calculation
Objects Modules

5 ba s ic a lgorithms

Ca n be combined with ea ch other

Control
Mecha nis m s
Calculation modules

Calculation
Modules
Inverse/ forward kinematics & Minimum Distance Calculations

Inverse/forward kinematics
Any mecha nis m: redundant, bra nched, clos ed, etc.
Da mped / unda mped res olution
Weighted res olution • Conditiona l res olution
Obs ta cle a voida nce

Minimum Distance Calculations

Any mes h • Any point cloud • Any
individua l point
Collision Detection and Path Planning

Collision Detection
Any mes h • Any point cloud • Any individua l point

Path Planning
Pla nning ta s ks in 3D-
s pa ce, a nd in 2D-s pa ce
for vehicles with non-
holonomic motion
cons tra ints .
Collision Detection and Path Planning

Collision Detection
Any mes h • Any point cloud • Any individua l point

Path Planning
Pla nning ta s ks in 3D-
s pa ce, a nd in 2D-s pa ce
for vehicles with non-
holonomic motion
cons tra ints .
Dynamics / Physics

4 physics engines:
➢ Bullet Phys ics
➢ Open Dyna mics Engine (ODE)
➢ Vortex Dyna mics
➢ Newton Dyna mics
Simple s witching
Dyna mic pa rticles to s imula te a ir or
wa ter jets
Dynamics

Sta tic/ non-s ta tic s hapes

res ponda ble/ non-res pondable s ha pes (masks)
Control Mechanisms

Scene Calculation
6 methods or interfa ces Objects Modules

7 la ngua ges
All methods ca n be us ed a t the s a me time,
a nd even work ha nd-in-ha nd
Control
Mecha nis m s
Control Mechanisms

Embedded Remote
Scripts API clients

Control Plugins ROS nodes

Mecha nis ms

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Embedded Remote
Scripts API clients

Local Interface Remote Interface

Sa me proces s Plugins ROS nodes Different proces s /
ha rdwa re

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Over 500 API functions

(Extenda ble)
Embedded
Scripts Ca n be a tta ched to a ny s cene object
Ma ny Lua extens ion libra ries a va ila ble
Threa ded or non-threa ded
Va rious types : ma in s cript, child s cripts , ca llba ck s cripts
(e.g. cus tom joint controllers )

Plugins Lua interfa ce

Lightweight a nd ea s y to progra m (child s cripts )
→ Initia liza tion • Actua tion • Sens ing • s hut down
Extremely porta ble s olution

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Embedded Non-threa ded child s cript

Scripts

Plugins

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Over 500 API functions . Extenda ble

Embedded C/ C++ interfa ce
Scripts
Us ed to provide V-REP with a s pecia l functionality requiring
either fa s t ca lcula tion ca pa bility (s cripts a re m os t of the tim e s lower tha n
com piled la ngua ges ), a s pecific interfa ce to a ha rdwa re device (e.g. a
rea l robot), or a s pecia l communica tion interfa ce with the outs ide
world

Plugins
The ROS functiona lity is pla ced in a plugin

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Over 400 API functions . Extenda ble

Embedded Lua interfa ce
Scripts
Ca n cus tomize the s imula tor
Lightweight a nd ea s y to s et-up
Ca n s ta rt a utoma tically a nd run in the ba ckground, or they ca n
be ca lled a s functions

Plugins

Add-ons
Control Mechanisms

Over 100 API functions

(Extendable)
Remote
API clients Client (your program) - Server (v-rep plugin) relationship
C/ C++, Python, Java, Matlab, Octave, Lua & Urbi interfaces
Lightweight and easy to use

ROS nodes Python Example

Control Mechanisms

Plugin-based
Remote It acts as a ROS node that other nodes can communicate with
API clients
via ROS services, ROS publishers and ROS subscribers
Supports all standard messages and is extendable
Generic (e.g. easy to change program from communicating with
the simulation to communicating with a real robot)
I successfully compiled it with ROS Kinetic in ubuntu 16.04
ROS nodes
Control Mechanisms

1) C/ C++ API Calls

2) Cas ca ded Child s cript execution

3) LUA API calls

4) Cus tom LUA API callbacks

5) V-REP event callbacks

6) rem ote API function ca lls

7) ROS trans it

8) cus tom com m unica tion

a) s ocket, s erial, pipes , etc.

9) Add-on calls to LUA API

10) Script ca llba ck ca lls

Control Mechanisms

If in doubt, us e their webs ite!

http:/ / www.coppelia robotics .com
Other features - Custom User Interfaces (QT-Based)
Other features - Mesh Edit Modes

❏ Triangle, vertex or edge edit m ode

❏ Modify m es hes (adjus t vertices , add/ rem ove triangles )

❏ Sem i-a utom atic prim itive s hape extraction function

❏ Triangle, vertex or edge extraction

❏ Mes h decom pos ition

❏ Convex decom pos ition

❏ Convex hull extraction

❏ Mes h decim ation

Other features

❏ Headles s m ode s upport (i.e. via com m and line)

❏ Im port form ats : OBJ , STL, 3DS, DXF, COLLADA & URDF

❏ Model brows er and s cene hierarchy

❏ Multilevel undo / redo

❏ Movie recorder (w. ray tracing)

❏ Sim ulation of paint or welding s eam s

❏ Static & dynam ic textures

❏ Exhaus tive docum entation

❏ Etc.
V-REP Source Code Licens ing
Res ources

V-REP webs ite: www.coppeliarobotics .com

V-REP us er ma nua l: www.coppelia robotics .com/ helpFiles /

V-REP forum: www.forum.coppelia robotics .com

V-REP YouTube cha nnel: Virtua lRobotPla tform

V-REP Twitter a ccount: coppelia Robotic

Starting your own project in GoRobots
 Starting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)
 Starting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)

2. Fork your vers ion of GoRobots

Press this
If you forked later than 08.47 this morning do this!

1) Configure a rem ote tha t points to the ups trea m repos itory in Git

$ git rem ote a dd ups trea m git@gitla b.com :ens _s du/ gorobots .git

2) Fetch the bra nches a nd their res pective com m its from the ups trea m repos itory

$ git fetch ups trea m

3) Check out your fork's loca l m a s ter bra nch.

$ git checkout m a s ter

4) Merge the cha nges from ups trea m / ma s ter into your loca l m a s ter bra nch (Sync.)

$ git m erge ups trea m / ma s ter

5) Check for m erge conflicts with (you m a y need to ins ta ll m eld)

$ m eld .

No Important Changes (Check with meld)? → $ git reset --hard

 Starting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)

2. Fork your vers ion of GoRobots

3. Clone your fork to your Pc

git clone “this address”

 Sta rting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)

2. Fork your vers ion of GoRobots

3. Clone your fork to your Pc

4. Get pendulum s im ula tion up a nd
running by following the guide in
the rea dm e file

Please write me on mathias@mmmi.sdu.dk if you find any errors in the guide

 Starting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)

2. Fork your vers ion of GoRobots

3. Clone your fork to your Pc Your controller here →

e.g. /controllers/pendulum/pendulumController.cpp
4. Get pendulum s im ula tion up a nd
running by following the guide in
the rea dm e file

5. Sta rt your own project a nd us e the

following s tructure Your makelistcatkin and child script here →
e.g. /projects/pendulum/catkin_ws/src/...

Your v-rep sim (.ttt) in v-rep_simulations in here →

e.g. /utils/v-rep_simulations/pendulum/ pendulum.ttt
 Starting your own project in GoRobots

1. As k for m em bers hip in ENS group

on GitLa b (Koh, J an-Matthias , or Me)

2. Fork your vers ion of GoRobots

3. Clone your fork to your Pc

4. Get pendulum s im ula tion up a nd
running by following the guide in
the rea dm e file

5. Sta rt your own project a nd us e the

following s tructure

6. End your project with a m erge

reques t

Press this
Questions and Getting started

Any Ques tion?

Try getting the pendulum s imulation to run on

your PC!
Installing VORTEX Physical engine

1) Go to: https :/ / www.cm-la bs .com / licens es /

2) Crea te free a ccount
3) Go to: My Account > Downloa ds (the downloa d pa ge)
4) Pres s : Optiona l Downloa d > Vortex Studio (Linux)
5) Then go to: My Account > Licens es
a ) Then reques t a licens e for Vortex Studio Es s entia ls
6) Extra ct the downloa ded folder
a ) Go to “Vortex_Studio…/ bin” (in the termina l)
b) Then run “./ VortexLicens eMa na ger --a ctiva te KEY”
7) Res ta rt V-REP
V-REP Overview

What is it? Genera l purpos e robot s imula tor with integra ted
development environment

What can it do ? Sens ors , mecha nis ms , robots a nd whole s ys tems

ca n be modelled a nd s imula ted in va rious wa ys

Typical applications ? Fa s t prototyping a nd verifica tion

Controller development
Ha rdwa re control
Simula tion of fa ctory a utoma tion s ys tems
Sa fety monitoring
Product pres enta tion
etc.