[Playerstage-users] Is it possible to simulate "lights" in player/Stage?

[Stefano F. <fr...@ph...>]

Hi all,

Background: I am trying to set up  a few experiments in (simulated) robotic 
phototaxis, similar in spirit to Braitenberg's Vehicles first few examples. 
I am looking into using player/stage as the simulation environment.

Setting up the robot is no problem, but I cannot see how to create the 
equivalent of a "light source" in stage. ("Light" is in scare quotes: all 
that's really needed is a stimulus source of some unspecified kind).
One possible solution would be to use sonars or lasers on the robots instead 
of passive sensors, and use a physical object as an alternative to the "light 
source." That would work if there was a way for the robot to actually drive 
over the physical object. 
Is that possible?

More generally, has anyone tried to replicate Braitenberg's experiments in 
Player/stage? Or is the more sophisticated Gazebo simulator needed?



Thanks,

Stefano


______________________________________________________________
Stefano Franchi
Department of Philosophy          Ph:  (979) 862-2211
Texas A&M University              Fax: (979) 845-0458
305B Bolton Hall                  fr...@ph...
College Station, TX 77843-4237