Backends

The Toolbox supports a number of backends to display a robot animation or to control a physical robot.

By default, only the PyPlot backend is included in the Toolbox install. The others require additional installation steps.

PyPlot (matplotlib)

This backend displays the robot as a noodle using matplotlib graphics. matplotlib is the most ubiquitous graphics library for Python and runs on all platforms.

>>> import roboticstoolbox as rtb
>>> p560 = rtb.models.DH.Puma560()
>>> qt = rtb.tools.trajectory.jtraj(p560.qz, p560.qr, 50)
>>> p560.plot(qt.q)

Options exist to:

• attach a velocity or force ellipsoid,
• display link frames and joint axes,
• save the animation to a file as an animated GIF

VPython

This backend displays the robot in 3D in a browser window using Javascript and vpython.

TODO ADD CODE EXAMPLE AND IMAGE/ANIMATION

Swift

This backend displays the robot in a desktop Electron window using three.js.

TODO ADD CODE EXAMPLE AND IMAGE/ANIMATION

Installation

CopelliaSim (nee VREP)

CopelliaSim is a mature and capable cross-platform robot simulation environment with a free licence to use for education.

TODO ADD CODE EXAMPLE AND IMAGE/ANIMATION

Installation

ADD DETAILS FOR COPSIM, CONFIGURATION