Experimental Validation of a ground robot simulation model during line following task

This paper describes a comparative study of the performance of a simulation model of a two-wheeled robot performing a line following tasks versus a similarly setup simulated environment. The robot model includes closed loop kinematics for the chassis motion and a dynamic model of the wheel motors and control algorithm that generate wheel velocity based on actuation commands. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the fidelity of the model as well as the influence of the motor model, sensor model and simulation time-step on the overall system fidelity while the robot is performing a line following task under a variety of aggressiveness parameters. For simulation purposes, The Autonomous Robotics Modeling & Simulation Environment (ARMSE) is utilized while the Stingray robotic kit from Parallax, equipped with several sensors and additional capabilities, is used as the robotic platform.