Rapid development system for humanoid vision-based behaviors with real-virtual common interface

This paper describes a rapid development system for vision-based behaviors of humanoid which consist of both real robot and virtual robot in simulation environment. Vision based behavior of a humanoid is very complex and difficult to develop, therefore simulation environment to develop it rapidly and efficiently, and to verify or to evaluate it is required. Previous simulator in robotics is limited to verify dynamics motions such as walking, or to plan or learn in simple environment, however our system is able to simulate vision based behavior, i.e. motion, perception, behaviors of a robot as a whole, since it can simulate both dynamics and collision in an environment, and motors and sensors including a view of a robot. We regard realtime-ness of simulation as a important so that so that users can develop vision based behaviors rapidly and efficiently. It has Common Interface API to share behavior software between real and virtual robot, Moreover, visual processing functions such as color extraction, depth map generation are available. As a result, vision based behavior consists of local map generation, planning, navigation of the humanoid in simulation is presented. We also show that software developed in the simulation environment, is able to apply to the real robot.