Reconfigurable Virtual Environment for Multi-robot Operations and its Application in Education

Abstract

This paper presents the development of reconfigurable virtual environment for programming, control, simulation, and monitoring of multiple robots and its application in the process of education. During the development special attention is devoted to the fulfillment of the modularity, scalability, and openness that represent the basic requirements of reconfigurability. The reconfigurability of the virtual laboratory can be considered from two aspects: as a possibility of reconfiguring operating mode and as a possibility of reconfiguring virtual robots and virtual laboratory. It represents an integrated environment for programming, control, simulation and monitoring of multiple robots with continuous adjustment to the real laboratory environment and robots’ usage. With the possibility to adjust the virtual environment in accordance with the students’ foreknowledge and experience by combining different operating modes and virtual environments, from the educational viewpoint, it is expected that the proposed solution will improve the process of gaining knowledge.

Keywords

• Education
• Reconfigurability
• Robot programming
• Virtual laboratory