Virtual reality simulator for robotics learning

Abstract

The overall purpose of this project is to test the impact and potential benefits of Virtual Reality technology by creating a virtual simulator for the operation of the Mitsubishi Movemaster RV-M1 Robot. The project aims to be a proposal for education innovation by increasing the student's interactivity with the robot's features inside a virtual environment, developed using the game engine Unity and the Oculus Rift headset for the virtual visualization. By using this virtual simulator, on site operation time is decreased, mainly by allowing off-line programming of the equipment. It also allows universities without or with limited industrial machinery to provide their students a way to learn and practice on industrial automation and robotics simulation topics without inconvenience. The virtual simulator is designed to decrease the student's learning curve by displaying a complete virtual environment where the tridimensional model of the robotic arm can be visualized and programmed according to the real model's parameters and specifications.