Darwin2K: Free open-source toolkit for robot simulation and automated design.
The software's evolutionary algorithm takes things further, enabling users to automatically optimize robot designs to meet task-specific performance objectives. Some of Darwin2K's key features include kinematic and dynamic simulations, including support for joint limits, limited contact, and closed kinematic chains.
Darwin2K is highly modular, allowing simulation components to be activated and configured at runtime. Users can build robots at runtime from parameterized modules, and new module types can be added. The program supports several robot control algorithms, including PID joint control, Jacobian (Singularity-Robust Inverse) control, and SRI with dynamics for free-flying manipulators.
Robots can be assessed through simulation, and the synthesizer features a distributed evolutionary algorithm capable of synthesizing and optimizing robot kinematics, dynamics, components, and controller parameters. Users can specify multiple performance metrics and criteria to be used when testing robot performance.
Darwin2K supports OpenGL and OpenInventor display drivers and is compatible with X windows, OpenGL, MesaGL, or OpenInventor, and Perl 5 or later. It requires xforms to be installed on your system.
The latest release of Darwin2K features bug fixes, added joint modules with 2-stage gearheads, the ability to use Featherstone dynamics algorithm, demos, and support for multiple configurations. Overall, Darwin2K is an excellent choice for anyone looking to design and simulate complex robotic systems.
Version 0.91: N/A