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Wierd Physics Interactions with Prototype

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 5:38 pm
by Fife
Good morning ARGoS forums. I'm not really sure if this is a bug or user error, but I am encountering some weird physics interactions with my prototypes.

I have created a robot with the prototype plugin, and when testing the prototype by itself, it works great. I've created functions to drive it forward, turn left/right, and they work with no issues.

The problem is that when I distribute multiple prototypes over the arena, the same functionality starts behaving strangely. For example: I'll load in 3 robots and tell them all to drive forward. 2 of them will drive forward and the third one will just spin around and crash into the wall. There is no difference between the scripts or the prototype configuration, as I am using the "distribute" plugin on 1 prototype.

The next thing I noticed is that if multiple prototypes get near each other, they start behaving strangely. It seems like there is some kind of physics interaction that happens between the prototypes (almost like they are colliding). However, when I view the bounding boxes of the prototypes as they start behaving in this way, there show as not colliding.

Could this be a bug in the prototype plugin physics? Or have I done something completely wrong? Here is my code:

ARGoS Config:

Code: Select all

<?xml version = "1.0" ?> <argos-configuration> <framework> <experiment length ="0" ticks_per_second="30" random_seed= "0"/> </framework> <controllers> <lua_controller id="tellus_controller"> <actuators> <joints implementation="default"> <joint id="fr_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="fl_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="bl_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="br_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="mr_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="ml_arm_wheel" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> <joint id="base_lidar" mode="velocity" max_impulse="0.05f"/> </joints> <radios implementation="default" medium="radios"/> </actuators> <sensors> <joints implementation="default"> <joint id="base_lidar" mode="position"/> <joint id="fr_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> <joint id="fl_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> <joint id="br_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> <joint id="bl_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> <joint id="mr_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> <joint id="ml_arm_wheel" mode="velocity"/> </joints> <radios implementation="default" medium="radios"/> <proximity implementation= "default" show_rays="true"/> <positioning implementation = "default"/> </sensors> <params /> </lua_controller> </controllers> <arena size="4,4,5" center="0,0,0" positional_grid_size="1, 1, 1"> <floor id="floor" source="image" path="../textures/axis.png" /> <box id="wall_north" size="4,0.1,0.1" movable="false"> <body position="0,2,0" orientation="0,0,0" /> </box> <box id="wall_south" size="4,0.1,0.1" movable="false"> <body position="0,-2,0" orientation="0,0,0" /> </box> <box id="wall_east" size="0.1,4,0.1" movable="false"> <body position="2,0,0" orientation="0,0,0" /> </box> <box id="wall_west" size="0.1,4,0.1" movable="false"> <body position="-2,0,0" orientation="0,0,0" /> </box> <distribute> <position method="uniform" min="-1.5,-1.5,0" max="-1,-1,0" /> <orientation method="gaussian" mean="0,0,0" std_dev="0,0,0" /> <entity quantity="3" max_trials="100"> <prototype id="tellus" movable="true"> <body position = "0,0,0.1" orientation = "0,0,0"/> <controller config="tellus_controller"/> <links ref = "base"> <link id="base" geometry="box" size="0.1,0.05,0.02" mass="1" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <link id="lidar_servo" geometry="cylinder" radius="0.01" height="0.02" mass="0.2" position="0.04,0,0.02" orientation="0,0,0"/> <link id="fl_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="0.05,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <link id="fr_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="0.05,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <link id="ml_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.025,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <link id="mr_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.025,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <link id="bl_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.05,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,-45,0"/> <link id="br_arm" geometry="box" size="0.01,0.05,0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.05,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,-45,0"/> <link id= "fl_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="0.06,0.045,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> <link id= "fr_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="0.06,-0.04,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> <link id= "ml_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="0,0.045,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> <link id= "mr_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="0,-0.045,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> <link id= "bl_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.06,0.045,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> <link id= "br_wheel" geometry ="cylinder" radius="0.02" height= "0.01" mass="0.1" position="-0.06,-0.04,-0.02" orientation="0,0,90"/> </links> <joints> <joint id="base_lidar" type="revolute" axis="0,0,1"> <parent link="base" position="0.04,0,0.02" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="lidar_servo" position="0,0,0.005" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_flarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="0.05,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <child link="fl_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_frarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="0.05,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <child link="fr_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_mlarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="-0.025,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <child link="ml_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_mrarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="-0.025,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,45,0"/> <child link="mr_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_blarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="-0.05,0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,-45,0"/> <child link="bl_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="base_brarm" type="fixed"> <parent link="base" position="-0.05,-0.03,-0.01" orientation="90,-45,0"/> <child link="br_arm" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> </joint> <joint id="fl_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="fl_arm" position="0.015,-0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="fl_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> <joint id="fr_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="fr_arm" position="-0.005,-0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="fr_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> <joint id="ml_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="ml_arm" position="0.015,-0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="ml_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> <joint id="mr_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="mr_arm" position="-0.005,-0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="mr_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> <joint id="bl_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="bl_arm" position="0.015,0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="bl_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> <joint id="br_arm_wheel" type="revolute" axis = "0,0,1"> <parent link="br_arm" position="-0.005,0.025,0" orientation="0,0,0"/> <child link="br_wheel" position="0,0,0" orientation="0,90,0"/> </joint> </joints> <devices> <radios medium="radios"> <radio anchor="base" duplex_mode="half" range="1" position="0,0,0.0075"/> </radios> <proximity_sensors> <sensor anchor="lidar_servo" position="0,0,0" offset="0,0,0.02" direction="1,0,0" range="1" show_rays="true"/> </proximity_sensors> </devices> </prototype> </entity> </distribute> </arena> <physics_engines> <dynamics3d id="dyn3d" default_friction="2.0"> <floor height="0.01" friction="0.1"/> <gravity g="10" /> </dynamics3d> </physics_engines> <media> <radio id="radios"/> </media> <visualization> <qt-opengl lua_editor="true"> <camera> <placements> <placement index="0" position="0,0,8.14689" look_at="0,0,0" up="1,0,0" lens_focal_length="5" /> </placements> </camera> </qt-opengl> </visualization> </argos-configuration>
Lua Script:

Code: Select all

function driveForward(velocity) robot.joints.bl_arm_wheel.set_target(velocity) robot.joints.ml_arm_wheel.set_target(0-velocity) robot.joints.fl_arm_wheel.set_target(0-velocity) robot.joints.br_arm_wheel.set_target(0-velocity) robot.joints.mr_arm_wheel.set_target(velocity) robot.joints.fr_arm_wheel.set_target(0-velocity) end function init() -- put your code here end --[[ This function is executed at each time step It must contain the logic of your controller ]] function step() -- put your code here driveForward(10) end --[[ This function is executed every time you press the 'reset' button in the GUI. It is supposed to restore the state of the controller to whatever it was right after init() was called. The state of sensors and actuators is reset automatically by ARGoS. ]] function reset() -- put your code here end --[[ This function is executed only once, when the robot is removed from the simulation ]] function destroy() -- put your code here end

Re: Wierd Physics Interactions with Prototype

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 8:54 pm
by allsey87
Hi @Fife! So the prototype entity just forwards all of its parameters to Bullet's btMultiBody which is based on Featherstone's algorithm. I have seen the mentioned behavior before not only in the Prototype entity but also with the BuilderBot and Stigmergic Block. I believe the bugs lie in Bullet's implementation of the Featherstone algorithm. These bugs are also mentioned in the conclusion of this paper from 2015: https://doi.org/10.1109/icra.2015.7139807

Unfortunately there is not much we can do about them and than to try and work around them.

Re: Wierd Physics Interactions with Prototype

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2023 11:51 pm
by Fife
Thank you for your response, that's too bad to hear, I worked really hard on my prototype. :cry:

What do you suggest I do to work around this issue? Would using a less complex prototype help?