chrisp@bilby.cs.uwa.oz.au (Chris Pudney) (02/13/91)
G'day, The following has the potential to be included in a FAQ monthly posting. Here goes anyway. An associate of mine is interested in purchasing a graphical robot simulator. If you are using such a beast or are familiar with one then please let me know. Information regarding the software's cost, platforms it supports, and most importantly the address of its manufacturer (so he can get hold of their current glossy brochure) would be much appreciated. If there is enough interest I shall post a compilation of the replies I receive. AtDhVaAnNkCsE. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pudney Department of Computer Science, PHONE: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 380 3455 University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western AUSTRALIA, 6009. FAX: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 382 1688 E-MAIL: chrisp@cs.uwa.oz.au -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pudney Department of Computer Science, PHONE: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 380 3455
chrisp@bilby.cs.uwa.oz.au (Chris Pudney) (02/21/91)
G'day, As promised here is a compilation of the replies I received to my request for information about graphical robot simulator software: >From: pkc@scs.carleton.ca (Peter Choynowski) > >The only systems I came across was an IBM PC >system from IBM called AML/2. The cost in 1986 was $4247 CDN, >and I don't have any newer info. >From: The Polymath <hollombe%ttidcb.TTI.COM@munnari.oz.au> > >Deneb Robotics, Inc. >1120 E. Long Lake Rd., Suite 200 >Troy, MI 48098-4960 >United States >(313) 689-7763 > >Their system runs on SPARC stations and costs in the neighborhood of >US$60,000. >From: hudson@falcon.nrl.navy.mil (Dan Hudson) > >While there are a number of packages available: > > AutoMod II by AutoSimulations > CimStation by Silma > IGRIP by Deneb > OLPW-200 by GMF Robotics > Work-Out by Comutec > >the two "big hitters" in general robotic simulation are >CimStation and IGRIP. > >Both provide "complete" systems: > > Basic CAD Tools: 2D and 3D solid & wireframe, IGES interface > Robot Modelling: generate the required governing > equations (iterative or closed form) > automatically for "many" classes of > robots > Path Generation > Kinematic Simulation with Collision Detection > Dynamic Simulation (CimStation only at this point) > I/O Operations > >As you can see, the packages are pretty close in their capabilities. >Their are, however, a few significant differences which helped us chose >between them. > > IGRIP Pros... > > -Interface: Out of all the systems, I thought IGRIP > had the slickest interface. > > -Cost: IGRIP, while not the cheapest package (that is > "Work-Out"), is much cheaper then CimStation. > > CimStation Pros... > > -Most Advanced: CimStation appeared to be on the > "leading edge" of the commercially available > simulation packages. > > -John Craig: of "Introduction to Robotics" by > Addison/Wesley fame is head of Robotics R&D. > > -Open Architecture: CimStation is not a "traditional" > program. I look at it as more of a Robotics > Simulation "Environment". Silma has created > a programming environment called SIL complete with > its own iterative language (just like PASCAL > with graphics and robotics extensions). CimStation > is built out of this language. The beauty > of it is that you have access to it > also and can add your own functionality; > a site specific path planner for instance. As an > added bonus, you can also write code in C, compile > it, and add it to the system. > > (it is hard to describe you'll have to see it) > >It was VERY important that we have a system that was expandable, so we >chose CimStation. If an open architecture is not important, IGRIP >(or one of the other systems) may be better suited to your application. > >The worst part about these things is their cost; IGRIP around $50000 and >CimStation around $65000! > >If you are on the bargain plan, Work-Out cost around $25000. > >I do not know if any of these companies offer educational discounts. > > >Company Information: > >Silma, Inc >1601 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road >Cupertino, California 95014 >ph# 408 725 8908 > >Product: CimStation >Platforms: SGI-4D, SUN SparcStation, Apollo, Intergraph, > Computervision (maybe more?) >Price: base system around $65000 (ugh!) > >If you contact them, I'd appreciate a "plug". Maybe they'll >give me a T-shirt or something! > >Auto Simulations, Inc. >655 Medical Drive >Bountiful, UT 84010 >ph# 801 298 1398 >telex 801 298 8186 >contact: Teresa Francis, ext 330 > >Deneb Robotics >1120 E. Long Lake Road >Suite 200 >Troy, MI 48098-4960 >ph# 313 689 7763 >fax# 313 689 2815 >contact: Byron Clayton > >GMF Robotics >2000 S. Adams Road >Auburn Hills, MI 48057 >ph# 313 377 7000 > >Comutek >1223 Peoples Avenue >Troy, NY 12180 >ph# 518 276 2817 >fax# 518 276 638 >contact: Vinay Joshi >From: clewis@ecn.purdue.edu (Christopher L Lewis) > >I have been using a GE Graphicon 1700 to simulate robots and have >found it easy to use and very powerful. The main advantage of this >machine is that the graphic model is maintained as a data tree inside >the main processor. For most robotic applications, only the joint >angles need to be updated. The processor then redraws the scene using >double buffering to give the appearance of smooth motion. Currently, >I am modeling 2 seven DOF robots working together in assembly. I >have tried 2 other machines including the AT&T pixel machine and a >personal Iris. Both of these machines require one to redraw every >polygon with each iteration. >From: baskins@csd460a.erim.org (Bob Baskins) > > Deneb Robotics, Inc. > 1120 E. Long Lake > Suite #200 > Troy, MI. 48098 > (313) 689-7763 > > We are currently using the Deneb package on a Silicon >Graphics IRIS-4D Series platform. We are very satisfied with >this system. I know that Deneb is capable of running off other >hosts, but I don't have that information available at the moment. >I don't have cost information either. From: "Newsletter of the Australian Robot Association - Jan 1991 ``"Vision in Design" of Punchbowl N.S.W. announces the Australian availability of version 2.0 of the "Workspace" robot-simulation software developed by "Robot Simulations" in the U.K. The software, which runs on an IBM-compatible personal computer, is claimed to provide features similar to those available on much more expensive programs that require workstation hardware. Version 2.0 is said to be faster than the initial version and to offer such capabilities as automatic collision detection, 3D solid shaded colour graphics real-time display of simulations, and an expanded library of inverse kinematics algorithms for standard robots. Up to nine robots and associated machinery may be simulated simultaneously. Custom-designed robots having up to nine links can be simulated.'' Many thanks to those who provided me with information. Hope you find this useful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pudney Department of Computer Science, PHONE: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 380 3455 University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western AUSTRALIA, 6009. FAX: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 382 1688 E-MAIL: chrisp@cs.uwa.oz.au -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Pudney Department of Computer Science, PHONE: (local: 09) (int'l: +61 9) 380 3455