Introduction

FrankaSim is a new open-source simulator based on ROS and CoppeliaSim for the popular Franka Emika Panda robot fully integrated in the ViSP ecosystem. The simulator features a dynamic model that has been accurately identified from a real Panda robot, leading to more realistic simulations. The C++ API is an extended replica of the ViSP vpRobotFranka class of the real robot allowing to narrow the gap between simulation code and real control software deployment. Conceived as a multipurpose research simulation platform, it is well suited for visual servoing applications as well as, in general, for any pedagogical purpose in robotics. All the software, models and CoppeliaSim scenes are publicly available under free GPL-2.0 license in visp_ros.

Tutorial

We propose a tutorial that shows how to use FrankaSim to simulate:

a position-based or an image-based visual servoing
a joint or a cartesian impedance control

To compare simulated versus real robot control we propose also some examples that you can run on a real Panda robot equipped with a D435 Intel Realsense camera.

Next tutorial

If you are interested in visual-servoing on a real robot, you can continue with Tutorial: PBVS with Panda 7-dof robot from Franka Emika and Tutorial: IBVS with Panda 7-dof robot from Franka Emika. There is also the Tutorial: How to boost your visual servo control law that could be useful.