SoftBank Robotics documentation What's new in NAOqi 2.5?

Webots

What is Webots

Webots allows you to launch a simulated NAO moving in a virtual world.
It offers a safe place to test behaviors before playing them on a real robot.

../../_images/webots.png

Since Webots 8, a module named nao_qi is available for the owners of a Webots for NAO license. It provides predefined NAO simulations and with their ready-to-use controllers.

Warning

Webots for NAO license owners only have access to a subset of Webots features. They cannot use other robots nor create new robot controllers.

Installing Webots

To install Webots:

Step Action

Retrieve the installer Webots 8 for your operating system:

  • Windows: webots-8.x.x_setup.exe,
  • Mac: webots-8.x.x.dmg,
  • Linux 32 bits: webots-8.x.x-i386.tar.bz2,
  • Linux 64 bits: webots-8.x.x-x86-64.tar.bz2.

You can download the latest release from SoftBank Robotics Community website. For further details, see: Downloading & Installing SoftBank Robotics Software.

Uninstall completely any old version of Webots.

Launch the installer then follow the step-by-step instructions.

For further details or in case of trouble, see the Chapter 1: Installing Webots in Webots online user guide here: http://www.cyberbotics.com/guide/

Getting started

Launching a simulated robot

Step Action
Launch Webots.

Choose File > Open Sample World...

and select the entry robots/aldebaran/nao.wbt

../../_images/webots.png

Connecting Choregraphe to the simulated robot

Step Action
Launch Choregraphe.
Choose Connection > Connect to or click the connect-button Connect to button.

Select your simulated robot (the name should include the name of your computer).

Its icon should be:

../../_images/beginning_nao_bleu.png

In Choregraphe, you can now:

  • control the virtual robot with the Robot view panel and
  • check what the virtual robot is seeing in the Video monitor panel.
../../_images/webots_in_choregraphe.png

Testing a behavior in Webots

Step Action

Make sure you have launched a simulated robot and have connected Choregraphe to it.

For further details see:

In Choregraphe, create a behavior.

For example, test the Tai Chi Chuan box.

Make sure the Stiffness is on or click the stiffen-button Wake Up button.

Click the play-button Play button and follow the behavior both in Choregraphe and in Webots.

../../_images/webots_in_cho_running.png ../../_images/webots_in_cho_running2.png

Try to modify your point of view.

For further details, see: How do I navigate in 3D world? in the Help menu.

Monitoring the simulated NAO

Step Action

In Webots, double-click the robot.

The panel below appears.

../../_images/webots_robot_view.png
Choose one of the tabs and select the data you want to monitor.

Customizing NAO’s worlds

Adding an object

Let’s add a table, for example:

Step Action

Make sure the simulation is stopped.

Otherwise, choose, Simulation > Stop then File > Revert World.

In the Scene Tree, select the last node.

../../_images/add_object1.png

Click the add-object Add a new object button and select this object:

PROTO > objects > indoor > tables > Desk (Solid)

../../_images/add_object2.png

Click the Add button.

../../_images/add_object3.png

Moving objects

Let’s play with objects in order to learn how to move them.

Step Action

Make sure the simulation is stopped.

Otherwise, choose, Simulation > Stop.

In the Scene Tree, select the last node.

Click the add-object Add a new object button and select this object:

PROTO > objects > indoor > fruits > FruitBowl (Solid)

Click the Add button.

../../_images/add_object4.png

Try to put the fruit bowl on the table.

For further details, see: How do I move an object? in the Help menu.

../../_images/add_object5.png

NAO and Webots

Read the Section 8.2 Using the NAO robot of the Webots user guide to learn more about managing one or several NAOs using Webots.

Tips

I can’t see my simulated robot in the Choregraphe Browse robots panel.

Make sure the simulation is not stopped in Webots.

Troubleshooting

If the simulation is slow, you will have a warning displayed in the console of Webots:

../../_images/webots_warning.png

A possible approach to improve the simulation is to reduce the number of frames sent to NAOs cameras by changing the “FPS” field of the “WorldInfo” node in the Scene Tree:

../../_images/webots_fix_fps.png

Try some low values (e.g. 1, 5 or 10) to speed up the simulation.