An Integrated Control and Simulation Environment for Mobile Robot Software Development

In order to expedite the research and development of robotic systems and foster development of novel robot configuration, it is essential to develop tools and standards that allow researchers to rapidly develop, communicate, and compare experimental results. This paper describes the Mobility Open Architecture Simulation and Tools Framework (MOAST). The MOAST framework is designed to aid in the development, testing, and analysis of robotic software by providing developers with a wide range of open source robotic algorithms and interfaces. The framework provides a physics-based virtual development environment for initial testing and allows for the seamless transition of algorithms to real hardware. This paper details the design approach, software architecture and specific module-to-module interfaces.