Current and previous Versions

See simulator_gazebo/ChangeList

1.6 Series (E-Turtle)

• Gazebo

  • Establish a formal version process and review cycle. Synchronize releases of Gazebo with ROS.
  • Create gazebo-specific regression tests (outside of ROS).
  • Switch to Apache 2.0 license.

  • Gazebo will be hosted on kforge.

  • Write more tutorials and documentation. Consider move gazebo to code.ros.org
  • Incorporate models of humans (support Crowd Nav Project: Caroline is lead). This needs to be complete by end of March, 2011

  • Better visualization: improved shadows & materials. Support perception experiments: Gary and Radu.

  • Improved GUI for importing and manipulation models. Easier creation of simulation environments.
    • Import 3D models from 3rd party modeling software.
    • Modify model parameters (size, shape, pose, joints, sensors, etc)

• ROS

  • Improve gazebo plugin efficiency. Identify possible performance bottlenecks.
  • Create a minimalistic PR2, one that can run faster-than-realtime.
    • Kinematic only for partial robot. Lump mass upward in joint chain.
  • Launch gazebo on a remote machine: requires special launch files, and ROS support.

1.8 Series (F Turtle)

• Gazebo

  • Stop using ODE's collision: consider GJK or other library. We can potentially precompute a collision map for static geometries
  • Simplify simulation loading, rewinding, and saving of state. Save and resume world/model state.
  • Incorporate more sensors: GPS, wifi, microphones/speakers, switches, buttons
  • Separate rendering and physics. Socket based message passing will allow each component to run on different machines

    • 1 machine for physics, 1 machine for sensor generation, N machines for user visualization & manipulation.

• ROS

  • Cluster documentation
  • Model creation from real-world sensor data.

Long Term

• Full support of Bullet physics engine

• Move away from the ODE collision handler. Pre-compute collision maps for static geometries
• Python scripting interface to control models and environmental state
• Improve material and lighting support - increase rendering fidelity for vision-based projects
• Add GUI elements to manipulate joints and actuators