VisibleSim: A behavioral simulation framework for lattice modular robots

Simulation is one of the most important tools for robotics research, as it serves several crucial purposes such as prototyping, learning, avoiding dispensable hardware costs, or studying future systems that cannot be fabricated yet. Large scale self-reconfiguring modular robotic systems are an instance of such systems. Yet, current modular robotic simulators are overwhelmingly physics-based, which are good for real-world simulation but can be superfluous and sacrifice scalability when studying such systems through a behavioral lens. This paper introduces VisibleSim, an open-source behavioral simulator for lattice-based modular robots that uses discrete-event simulation. We describe the principles behind the simulator and introduce its features and usage from a user standpoint. VisibleSim has unique features like extensibility, versatility, and flexibility, it can also be used as a powerful visualization tool and has already a proven track record with several modular robotic architectures. We present a stress test composed of, ultimately, 32 million simulated robots, a new record in the field of modular robotic simulation. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.