Case study: Standardizing simulation interfaces for open-source robotics simulation

Partners: Nvidia, Intrinsic

Challenge

Robotec.ai led the development of a ROS 2-based standard interface to improve interoperability of robotics simulators. This initiative aims to enable developers and researchers to work across multiple simulation platforms by leveraging common robotics middleware standards.

Key challenges included:

• Robotics simulators use diverse APIs and data formats, leading to fragmentation and integration difficulties.
• Moving projects between simulators requires redundant development effort due to lack of common standards.

These challenges slow down robotics software development and innovation.

Solution

Robotec.ai developed an open-source simulation interface built on ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2) to:

• Standardize APIs and data exchange formats across simulators using ROS 2 communication protocols.
• Enable interoperability focusing on sensor data, robot control, and environment interactions.
• Allow easy transition between simulators without extensive software rework.
• Lower barriers for robotics developers working with different simulation platforms.
• Common message, service, and action types for interoperability.

Results

The standard is a firm success.

• It is adopted by both NVIDIA and Intrinsic.
• Already implemented across 3 major simulators (Isaac Sim, O3DE, Gazebo).
• A successful collaboration of a large community of technical leads in the open source, led by Robotec.ai.
• Widely disseminated and recognized in the community, including through a dedicated workshop by NVIDIA.
• Helps Robotec.ai to serve customers better with cost-efficient ecosystem integrations.

You can learn more about new standards for open-source robotics here.