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Industrial robot simulation software

Industrial robot simulation software list

What is the simulation?

Simulation means producing a computer model for a specific purpose and simulation software based on modeling events with a particular set of mathematical formulas. Building and testing a robot is not an easy task. It is a time-consuming and costly process; that’s why we need simulation software to virtually test our robotics systems. There are many robot simulators out there that may facilitate 2D simulation or 3D simulation. These simulation software tool kits helpful for industrial purposes such as design robots, test the algorithms and test realistic scenarios in the industry. In this article, we will discuss the industrial robot simulation software list according to the user experience, complexity, and functions.

RoboDK

  • License – property software (free trial available )
  • Developer:- RoboDK
  • Type – offline simulation software
  • Download:- Click here 

RoboDK is an allrounder because it supports many robot controllers such as ABB RAPID/Fanuc LS/ KUKA KRC / motorman inform and universal robots etc. RoboDK has 40 different manufactures library for any application such as painting, cutting, welding, and 500 industrial robot arms.

The graphical user interfaces simple and clean. you can be done a simulation in 5 steps and drag  & drop

  • Select the robot from the library
  • Select the tools
  • Place the 3D model
  • Robo path creation
  • Generate programs offline

The free version is good for beginners and it has some limitations. Robodk API support for python, visual basic, C#, MATLAB

RoboDK

ABB Robot studio

  • License – property software (30 days free trial available )
  • Developer:- ABB Robotics
  • Type – offline
  • Download – Click here

According to the ABB, this is one of the most used offline industrial robot designing and simulation software platform. ABB Robot studio allows to perform programming, training, and optimizing without manufacturing. This software builds a virtual controller and allows realistic simulation with actual configuration and environment.

Features of ABB Robot studio

  • Web meetings:- It facilitates you to share the digital robot solutions with your team. Connect your VR headset to Robot studio and share your thoughts on your projects.
  • Augmented reality:- It enables you to visualize robot systems in real-world productions as a hologram. It would be best if you had AR glasses or smartphones to download the robot simulation robot studio AR view app from IOS or Android.
  • Position simulation:- you can simulate where the stop position or robots with milliseconds and optimal breaking distance. ABB safe move and motion technology is adequate to faster, safe movement and human-machine interaction
  • Digital production line:- If you want to create a production line, you can do it easily with the help of an app. this concept is also called the digital twin. This concept facilitates you to create a real-time simulation production system (like in a factory ) virtually.

ABB robotics have huge knowledge bank to learn industrial robots follow these link

ABB robot studio

Kuka Sim

  • License – Property (Demo version available )
  • Developer:- KUKA
  • Type –Offline simulation software
  • Download:- Click here

The latest version I KUKA .sim 4.0 available right now. It helps you with industrial automation and simplifies programming.

Features

  • Create own e-catalog & Import CADD files
  • Virtual solutions
  • Collision Detection feasibility
  • Real motion execution
  • Modular add-ons (eg:- arc welding addon )
  • VR capability (Apps available on Android or IOS)
KUKA .Sim

Fanuc Robo guide

  • License – property software (free trial available )
  • Developer:- Fanuc
  • Type – offline
  • Download:- Click here( software Download available only registered user only )

Robo guide is another popular industrial robot simulation platform by Fanuc. It is an offline software package that facilitates to program and simulates industrial robots without physical or expenses. It reduces the risk by visualization robot systems before the setup.

Features

  • Handling Pro:- It is used for material handling applications, packing, assembly, and material removal. It also supports line tracking and path programming.
  • Paint Pro:- It uses for the painting process in the simplest robotics paths, you can graphically select the paths and areas and it automatically generates a program for it.
  • Pallet Pro & Pallet tools:- This feature is used to build & test palletizing applications. Users can create work cell layouts, pallet stations, slip sheets, and pallet dispensers. There are many pallet configurations in the pallet pro-build-in library.
  • Weld Pro:- As the name says it is for the arc welding process. It capable of weld pro to CADD path programming

Some advanced features

  • Auto place
  • Duty
  • Cable
  • Vision
  • Spray
  • COORD (coordination)

Key features

  • Support with CADD files
  • Build-in CADD models
  • Pre-programming
  • Setup & test advanced systems
Fanuc_roboguide

V-REP

  • License – Dual licensed (commercial or GPL)
  • Developer:- CoppeliaSim
  • Type – offline simulation software
  • Download:- Click here

V-REP is simulation software that supports Windows, Mac, and Linux and allows you to edit, program, simulate industrial robots. This simulator fully customizable and supports six programming approaches (API)such as C/C++, JAVA, Python, MATLAB, Lua, Octave.

Key feature

Remote API:- 

  • The framework allows communication with different external applications
  • Physics engine:- Newton dynamics engine, vortex studio engine, Bullet physics library
  • Inverse & forward kinematics:- Calculation mechanism
  • Sensors:- Proximity, vision sensor simulation
  • Motion planning:- Plan the paths, motions via the OMPL library
  • Import /export:- videos, images, mesh data, text can be imported in various formats
  • Data visualization and recording: Graphs & time plots
  • Collision detection:- detect the collision between two entities
  • Dynamic particles: customizable various particles
  • Building block concept:- Combine the ever objects ( sensors, motors, actuators)
V-REP

Webots

  • License – Dual license  (free trial for lifetime and premium version also available )
  • Developer:- Cyberbotics
  • Type – offline simulation software
  • Download:- Click here 

This is open-source simulation software you can download & install directly. The user interface is simple and easy, supporting programming languages such as Python, Java, MATLAB, C/C++ or ROS, etc. Webots have robots, objects, Sensors that you can import from the library.

Features

  • Inbuild library (robots, objects, Sensors)
  • web interface and streaming facility
  • Importing CADD models
  • Variety of simulations
  • Automatic test suite for codes
  • Huge online community support
  • Online simulation challenges (website )
Webots

GAZEBO

It is a well-designed simulator for design robots, perform algorithms, and train AI. You can accurately simulate indoor & outdoor robots. It supports the ODE, Bullet,Simbody, DART physics engines.

Features

    • Inbuild robot models (PR2, Pioneer2 DX)
    • TCP/IP transport (simulations runs on the remote server )
    • 3D graphics (advanced realistic graphic environment & rendering )
    • Plugins (custom plugin development for GAZEBO API )
    • Dynamic simulation
    • Cloud simulations (run the GAZEBO simulation on AWS)
    • Sensors (various sensors, camera modules, and sensor data )
Gazebo

RoboLogix 

  • License – Property 
  • Developer:- robologix
  • Type – offline simulation software
  • Download:- Click here

It is a real-world robotics simulation software that facilitates testing, simulate and debug industrial robots. It can control 5 axis robot arm various tasks such as pick & place, welding, painting, etc. The virtual control panel facilitates Convey control, off-hand control, motion control, etc.

Features

  • Robot programming & control algorithms
  • During the plotting instantaneous Joint acceleration
  • Velocities & positions
  • Virtual real-world systems
  • Real-time 3D simulation
  • Virtual cameras & sensors
Robologix

Work Space

  • License – Property (monthly subscription plan available )
  • Developer:- W.A.T solutions
  • Type – offline simulation software
  • Download:-Click here (Single license as a monthly subscription )

It is another indusial simulation software which mainly focused on educational market & institutes. The software consists of robot and manufacturing automation systems.

Features

  • 3D CADD support
  • Robot library (inbuild and custom) (ABB, Fanuc, KAWASAKI, KUKA, Motaman, MATLAB, Nachi, Panasonic, microbot )
  • 3D mouse support
  • Support robot languages (AS Rapid, Inform II TP, Karel II, Karel III,)
  • Accurate simulation & kinematic modeling.
Workspacelt simulation software

Delfoi robotics software

Delfoi have series of simulation software list for offline programming .the software optimized by visual components and it supports Popular robotics brans like KUKA, ABB, Fanuc, Moterman, Yaskawa, Panasonic, etc.

Product range

  • Delfoi ARC robot:- ARC welding & Laser welding
  • Delfoi SPOT robot:- Spot welding
  • Delfoi CUT robot:- Cutting, Drubbing, Finishing
  • Delfoi Paint robot:- Painting
  • Delfoi SURF-X robot:- Polishing, Grinding, Sanding
Delfoi offline simulation software

microsoft robotics developer studio (MSRS)

It is windows based robotics simulation software. C# is the primary language using in robot studio. It allows you to build and simulate a wide range of service-based applications for hardware devices.
Microsoft stop this project (2006-2012). They are no longer updating articles, software, and communities on the MSRS platform

Pros & cons of simulation

 

Pros of simulations

  • Reduce the cost and natural look & feel of the product
  • Simulate in various environments virtually on behalf of physically.
  • Identify the errors and improvements.
  • Quick and easy to model every part
  • Support with many programming languages

Cons of simulation

  • It is impossible to simulate all the component in the robots
  • When building the robot in the real world, there may be new practical problems more than simulation.
  • Some simulations are limit to a computer, not in real-world scenarios
  • You need to have a powerful pc to run the simulation(If you move to online simulation, this thing wouldn’t be necessary )

Final thoughts

There are many robot simulation software out there. These are the most common and popular industrial robot simulation software available right now; some simulation software are vendor-specific, like ABB, Fanuc others are common for any robot. In today everything is virtually simulated before the move to physical production. Most of the simulation software has free trial or open-source licenses, which is very useful for students & people in the robotics industry. All the simulation software have forums and videos to teach how this software is used, which you can find easily on YouTube or their websites.

RoboDk, ABB robot studio & V-REP are best for me. What is your experience with simulation software? Comment your thoughts.

6 thoughts on “Industrial robot simulation software

  • Rathnayaka I.M.

    Thanks for publishing this valuable article. This article is really helpful for me to get a comprehensive idea about knowing the facts that I should look for electing the suitable software for my project according to requirements of my project. I am really glad to have this kind of technical explanations in this site. Because those are clearly explained in detail. plz, maintain this site with utmostt effort.
    Best of luck….????

    Reply
  • Supun Chandana

    Such an interesting topic. You have researched well about simulation software and its been well documented so that I was able to get it very easily. Thank you for the informative article. waiting for more.

    Reply
  • Good article.
    Despite the trend of developers towards open source, as well as free tools for clients, most of the platforms presented here are rigidly tied to external hardware from specific manufacturers, which costs a lot of money.
    If a client wants to create his own automation or robotics concept, he is forced to dive deeply into programming languages, he is faced with equipment design problems, etc.
    Our startup deals with just such issues and we have a fairly democratic solution.
    https://www.beeptoolkit.com/

    Reply
  • BabaCAD Robotics software has full CAD support (can be used to simulate and program hundreds of industrial robots in different working environments).

    Reply

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