BestMan: A Modular Mobile Manipulator Platform for Embodied AI with Unified Simulation-Hardware APIs

TL;DR

BestMan is a modular, hardware-agnostic simulation platform based on PyBullet that simplifies development and enhances transferability for Embodied AI research.

Contribution

It introduces a unified, modular platform with integrated skill chains and interfaces, addressing existing challenges in simulation-hardware integration for Embodied AI.

Findings

Enhanced modularity and flexibility in simulation platform

Seamless simulation-to-reality transfer capabilities

Adaptability to various mobile manipulator configurations

Abstract

Embodied Artificial Intelligence (Embodied AI) emphasizes agents' ability to perceive, understand, and act in physical environments. Simulation platforms play a crucial role in advancing this field by enabling the validation and optimization of algorithms. However, existing platforms face challenges such as multilevel technical integration complexity, insufficient modularity, interface heterogeneity, and adaptation to diverse hardware. We present BestMan, a simulation platform based on PyBullet, designed to address these issues. BestMan introduces an integrated multilevel skill chain for seamless coordination across perception, planning, and control; a highly modular architecture for flexible algorithm integration; unified interfaces for smooth simulation-to-reality transfer; and a hardware-agnostic approach for adapting to various mobile manipulator configurations. These features collectively simplify development and enhance platform expandability, making BestMan a valuable tool for Embodied AI research.