Motivation

This project is solely being built from scratch for learning purposes. The project aims to improve skills in the following areas:

1. Game development
2. Robotics
3. Artificial Intelligence

Features of Simulator

Unity-ROS

Asset inventory system

1. Browse an asset bundle
2. Load an asset bundle
3. Load multiple asset bundles
4. Spawn an obstacle using raycasting to the ground layers
5. Save configuration in a .json
6. Load configuration from a .json
7. Need to load the asset bundles for assets within the .json first
8. Unload an asset bundle

Randomization of scenario using Scenic

1. Create asset bundle
2. Get asset bundle information in a .csv format
3. Use scenic config writer script to generate model classes for the assets within the asset bundle
4. Create a .scenic file using the model classes generated in Step 3
5. Run the .scenic file to generate randomized scenarios and dump them into a .json file for the simulator to use.
6. Use the Unity simulator to spawn the assets within the .json by accessing paths to the asset bundles

Time of day

• Sun color with time
• Moon color with time
• Sky horizon color with time
• Time scale
• Dynamic time of day

Traffic waypoint system

In my blog post regarding animating mixamo characters in Unity using the Animator component, I have created a simple character controller that is used to animate the NPC in the Unity project to move from one waypoint to another. This project aims to create a traffic waypoint system that can be used to control the movement of the NPC.

• Create an NPC: For simulating the behavior of the NPC, I have used animations from Mixamo and added a character controller to the NPC.
• Create Waypoint system: Using the Unity editor, I have created a waypoint system that can be used to set the waypoints for the traffic. This would include branching off points and randomization of directions. Also, ath each branch the NPC decides to take the branch in a random manner using a probability.
  • Create waypoints
  • Create branching points
• Create pedestrian traffic: Spawning a certain number of pedestrians at random points along the waypoints, randomizing their directions and speeds.

Simulations

Planning

• Hybrid A* with Voronoi fields
• Dubins paths

Perception

• Terrain segmentation
• Object detection
• Pedestrian detection
• Lidar object detection
  • Bounding boxes
  • Estimation

Control

• PID controller for a self-driving car following waypoints