Assignment2: TurtleBot3 Simulation in Webots
1. Introduction
TurtleBot3 is a low-cost, small-sized, open-source mobile robot developed by ROBOTIS in
collaboration with Open Robotics. It is ROS-compatible and widely used for research and
education in fields like autonomous navigation, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and
Mapping), and AI in robotics.
In this assignment, the TurtleBot3 Burger model was simulated in Webots R2025a inside a
custom two-room environment with furniture, where two robots were deployed to
demonstrate sensing, navigation, and obstacle detection.
2. TurtleBot3 Burger Specifications
Dimensions and Structure
Size: 138 mm × 178 mm × 192 mm
Weight: ~1 kg (lightweight, portable)
Body: Modular plates allowing additional sensors or cameras
Main Hardware
Controller:
Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 (acts as the main computer running ROS).
Handles SLAM, navigation, and communication.
Motor Driver:
OpenCR 1.0 Board
Based on ARM Cortex-M7 (32-bit MCU).
Provides motor control, power management, and sensor communication.
Open-source and programmable.
Actuators:
2 × Dynamixel XL430-W250-T servo motors (for wheels).
High precision, torque feedback, and low power consumption.
Enables differential drive (left & right wheel movement for navigation).
Sensors
LDS-01 LiDAR (Laser Distance Sensor)
2D laser scanner with 360° field of view.
Range: ~12 meters.
Provides obstacle detection, mapping, and localization data.
Essential for SLAM and path planning.
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
Includes accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer.
Provides orientation (yaw, pitch, roll).
Helps track robot movement even when LiDAR has no reference.
Magnetometer
Detects Earth’s magnetic field.
Used for heading (direction) estimation.
Gyroscope
Measures angular velocity.
Used to stabilize navigation and calculate turns.
Optional Sensors (not included by default but supported)
Camera module (for vision-based navigation).
Additional depth sensors (Intel RealSense).
Power
Battery: 11.1V Li-Po, 1800 mAh.
Operating Time: Around 2 hours.
Rechargeable with a compact charger.
Webots Simulator
Definition: Webots is an open-source robot simulation platform that provides realistic 3D
environments with physics-based interactions.
Why Use Webots?
Free for academic use.
Supports TurtleBot3 models directly.
Compatible with ROS.
Provides LiDAR, IMU, and camera simulation.
Helps test robot navigation and SLAM before using real hardware.
How Used in this Assignment:
Designed a house-like environment (two rooms).
Imported TurtleBot3 Burger robots from Webots PROTO library.
Configured LiDAR and IMU for sensing.
Ran multiple simulations to test navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Procedure Followed
Setup
Installed Webots R2025a.
Configured simulation workspace.
Environment Creation
Designed a two-room environment (living room + bedroom).
Added objects: bed, chairs, table, sofa, washing machine, etc.
Applied textures for floor and walls (checkerboard pattern for testing).
Robot Deployment
Imported TurtleBot3 Burger from Webots PROTO.
Placed two robots inside the environment.
Sensor Configuration
Enabled LiDAR sensor for 360° obstacle detection.
Enabled IMU sensor for orientation tracking.
Simulation Execution
Ran robots in autonomous mode.
Verified LiDAR rays (blue lines) showing detection range.
Checked robot movement inside both rooms.
Tested collision avoidance when approaching walls/furniture.
Observations
Robots covered their respective areas.
Detected obstacles successfully.
Navigation was smooth without collisions.
Results
Two TurtleBot3 robots deployed successfully in the indoor environment.
LiDAR sensors scanned both rooms effectively (blue sensor rays visible).
Robots avoided obstacles (bed, chairs, tables, sofa).
The environment allowed testing of real-world scenarios like room navigation.
The wireframe view confirmed correct placement of furniture and sensor coverage.
(Figures: screenshots from simulation with captions such as “Top view of simulation
environment” and “Wireframe view with LiDAR coverage”)
6. Applications
Autonomous indoor service robots.
Educational robotics training.
Research in SLAM and path planning.
Multi-robot coordination.
AI-based home automation testing.
