Tools for dynamics simulation of robots: a survey based on user feedback

TL;DR

This survey-based paper analyzes user feedback on various robotics dynamics simulation tools, providing insights to help researchers select the most suitable software for their needs.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive analysis of user feedback on simulation tools, supplementing existing objective comparisons with qualitative insights.

Findings

User preferences vary based on tool features and usability.

Most popular tools are open-source and widely adopted.

The report aids roboticists in choosing appropriate simulation software.

Abstract

The number of tools for dynamics simulation has grown in the last years. It is necessary for the robotics community to have elements to ponder which of the available tools is the best for their research. As a complement to an objective and quantitative comparison, difficult to obtain since not all the tools are open-source, an element of evaluation is user feedback. With this goal in mind, we created an online survey about the use of dynamical simulation in robotics. This paper reports the analysis of the participants' answers and a descriptive information fiche for the most relevant tools. We believe this report will be helpful for roboticists to choose the best simulation tool for their researches.