Aibo and Webots: Simulation, wireless remote control and controller transfer

This article introduces a new software tool that provides an accurate simulation of Sony Aibo robots and the capability to transfer controller programs from the simulation to the real robot. Five components are described: (1) a simulated physics-based model of the Sony Aibo ERS-210(A) and ERS-7 quadruped robots; (2) a graphical user interface for controlling the simulated and real robots; (3) a wireless communication protocol for controlling the robot from within Webots; (4) software components on the robot that enable remote control; and (5) a method for cross-compiling Webots robot controllers. The complete system has been calibrated and proof tested. It enables simultaneous control of both a simulated and a real Aibo robot and provides the user with a platform for convenient robot programming without any knowledge of the underlying robot firmware.