Awesome Robotics Libraries

A curated list of robotics simulators and libraries.

Table of Contents

• Simulators
• Libraries
  • Dynamics Simulation
  • Inverse Kinematics
  • Machine Learning
  • Motion Planning and Control
  • Optimization
  • Robot Modeling
  • Robot Platform
  • SLAM
  • Vision
  • Fluid
  • Multiphysics
  • Math
  • ETC
• Other Awesome Lists
• Contributing

Simulators

Free or Open Source

• AirSim - Simulator based on Unreal Engine for autonomous vehicles [github ]
• ARGoS - Physics-based simulator designed to simulate large-scale robot swarms [github ]
• ARTE - Matlab toolbox focussed on robotic manipulators [github ]
• CARLA - Open-source simulator for autonomous driving research [github ]
• CoppeliaSim - Formaly V-REP. Virtual robot experimentation platform [github ]
• Gazebo - Dynamic multi-robot simulator [github ]
• GraspIt! - Simulator for grasping research that can accommodate arbitrary hand and robot designs [github ]
• Ignition Gazebo - Open source robotics simulator [github ]
• Habitat-Sim - Simulation platform for research in embodied artificial intelligence [github ]
• Isaac - Nvidia's virtual simulator for robots
• MORSE - Modular open robots simulation engine [github ]
• Neurorobotics Platform - Internet-accessible simulation of robots controlled by spiking neural networks [bitbucket]
• PyBullet - An easy to use simulator for robotics and deep reinforcement learning [github ]
• Webots - Robot simulator that provides a complete development environment [github ]

Commercial

• Actin Simulation
• Kineo - Path planning and trajectory optimization for industrial robotics and digital mock-up review applications
• RobotDK - Simulation and OLP for robots
• RobotStudio
• Robot Virtual Worlds
• Virtual Robotics Toolkit
• Visual Components

Cloud

• AWS RoboMaker - Service that makes it easy to develop, test, and deploy intelligent robotics applications at scale

Libraries

Dynamics Simulation

⚠️ The following table is not complete. Please feel free to report if you find something incorrect or missing.

Name	Models	Features	Languages	Licenses	Code	Popularity
ARCSim	soft		C++
Bullet	rigid, soft	ik, id, urdf, sdf	C++, Python	Zlib	github
CHRONO::ENGINE	rigid, soft, granular, fluid	ik, urdf	C++, Python	BSD-3-Clause	github
DART	rigid, soft	ik, id, plan, urdf, sdf	C++, Python	BSD-2-Clause	github
Drake	rigid, aero, fluid	ik, trj-opt, plan	C++, Matlab	BSD-3-Clause	github
Flex	rigid, soft, particle, fluid		C++		github
FROST	rigid		MATLAB	BSD-3-Clause	github
IBDS	rigid, particle		C++	Zlib
idyntree	rigid	id	C++, Python, Matlab, Lua	LGPL-2.1	github
KDL	rigid	ik	C++	LGPL-2.1	github
kindr	rigid	(todo)	C++, Matlab	BSD-3-Clause	github
Klampt	(todo)	(todo)	C++, Python	BSD-3-Clause	github
LibrePilot	uav, vehicles	(todo)	C++	GPL-3.0	bitbucket, github
MARS	(todo)	(todo)	C++, Python	LGPL-3.0	github
MBDyn	(todo)	(todo)	C++	GPL-2.1	download
MBSim	(todo)	(todo)	C++	(not specified)	github
MBSlib	(todo)	(todo)	C++	LGPL-3.0	github
metapod	(todo)	(todo)	C++	LGPL-3.0	github
Moby	rigid	id	C++	GPL-2.0	github
mrpt	vehicle	slam, cv	C++, Python, Matlab	BSD-3-Clause	github
MuJoCo	(todo)	id	C++, Python	licenses	closed source
mvsim	vehicle	(todo)	C++	GPL-3.0	github
Newton Dynamics	(todo)	(todo)	C++	Zlib	github
nphysics	(todo)	(todo)	Rust	BSD-3-Clause	github
ODE	rigid		C++	LGPL-2.1 or BSD-3-Clause	bitbucket
OpenRAVE	(todo)	(todo)	C++, Python	LGPL-3.0	github
pinocchio	rigid	ik, id, urdf, analytical derivatives, code generation	C++, Python	BSD-2-Clause	github
PositionBasedDynamics	(todo)	(todo)	C++	MIT	github
PhysX	(todo)	(todo)	C++	unknown	github
PyDy	(todo)	(todo)	Python	BSD-3-Clause	github
RBDL	rigid	ik,id,urdf	C++, Python	Zlib	github
RBDyn	rigid	(todo)	C++, Python	LGPL-3.0	github
RaiSim	(todo)	(todo)	C++	custom	github
ReactPhysics3d	(todo)	(todo)	C++	Zlib	github
RigidBodyDynamics.jl	rigid	(todo)	Julia	MIT "Expat"	github
Rigs of Rods	rigid, soft, vehicle	(todo)	C++	GPL-3.0	github
Robopy	(todo)	(todo)	Python 3	MIT	github
Robotics Library	(todo)	(todo)	C++	GPL-3.0 or BSD-2-Clause	github
RobWork	(todo)	(todo)	C++	Apache-2.0	gitlab
siconos	(todo)	(todo)	C++, Python	Apache-2.0	github
Simbody	rigid, molecules	id, urdf	C++	Apache-2.0	github
SOFA	rigid, soft, medical	(todo)	C++	LGPL-2.1	github
Tiny Differentiable Simulator	rigid	(todo)	C++, Python	Apache-2.0	github
trep	rigid	dm, trj-opt	C, Python	GPL-3.0	github
qu3e	rigid	-	C++	Zlib	github

For simplicity, shortened names are used to represent the supported models and features as

• Supported Models

  • rigid: rigid bodies
  • soft: soft bodies
  • aero: aerodynamics
  • granular: granular materials (like sand)
  • fluid: fluid dynamics
  • vehicles
  • uav: unmanned aerial vehicles (like drones)
  • medical
  • molecules
  • parallel: parallel mechanism (like Stewart platform)

• Features on Simulation, Analysis, Planning, Control Design

  • dm: discrete mechanics
  • ik: inverse kinematics solvers (please find IK specialized packages in this list)
  • id: inverse dynamics
  • slam: simultaneous localization and mapping
  • trj-opt: trajectory optimization
  • plan: motion planning algorithms
  • cv: computer vision
  • urdf: urdf parser
  • sdf: sdf parser

Inverse Kinematics

• IKBT - A python package to solve robot arm inverse kinematics in symbolic form [github ]
• RelaxedIK - Real-time Synthesis of Accurate and Feasible Robot Arm Motion [github ]

Machine Learning

• DLL - Deep Learning Library (DLL) for C++ [github ]
• DyNet - The Dynamic Neural Network Toolkit [github ]
• Fido - Lightweight C++ machine learning library for embedded electronics and robotics [github ]
• MiniDNN - A header-only C++ library for deep neural networks [github ]
• mlpack - Scalable C++ machine learning library [github ]
• OpenAI Gym - Developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms [github ]
  • gym-dart [github ]
  • gym-gazebo [github ]
• RLLib - Temporal-difference learning algorithms in reinforcement learning [github ]
• tiny-dnn - Header only, dependency-free deep learning framework in C++14 [github ]

Motion Planning and Control

• AIKIDO - Solving robotic motion planning and decision making problems. [github ]
• CuiKSuite - Applications to solve position analysis and path planning problems
• Control Toolbox - Open-Source C++ Library for Robotics, Optimal and Model Predictive Control [github ]
• GPMP2 - Gaussian Process Motion Planner 2 [github ]
• HPP - Path planning for kinematic chains in environments cluttered with obstacles [github]
• MoveIt! - Motion planning framework [github ]
• OMPL - Open motion planning library [bitbucket, github ]
• pymanoid - Humanoid robotics prototyping environment based on OpenRAVE [github ]
• ROS Behavior Tree - [github ]
• The Kautham Project - A robot simulation toolkit for motion planning [github ]
• TOPP-RA - Time-parameterizing robot trajectories subject to kinematic and dynamic constraints [github ]

Motion Optimizer

• opt_control - Time-optimal Trajectory Generation and Control [github ]
• towr - A light-weight, Eigen-based C++ library for trajectory optimization for legged robots [github ]
• trajopt - Framework for generating robot trajectories by local optimization [github ]

Nearest Neighbor

• Cover-Tree - Cover tree data structure for quick k-nearest-neighbor search [github ]
  • Faster cover trees by Mike Izbicki et al., ICML 2015.
• FLANN - Fast Library for Approximate Nearest Neighbors [github ]
• nanoflann - Nearest Neighbor search with KD-trees [github ]

3D Mapping

• libpointmatcher - Iterative Closest Point library for 2-D/3-D mapping in Robotics [github ]
• Octree - Fast radius neighbor search with an Octree [github ]
• OctoMap - Efficient Probabilistic 3D Mapping Framework Based on Octrees [github ]
• PCL - 2D/3D image and point cloud processing [github ]
• voxblox - Flexible voxel-based mapping focusing on truncated and Euclidean signed distance fields [github ]
• Utility Software
  • Goxel - Free and open source 3D voxel editor [github ]

Optimization

• CasADi - Symbolic framework for algorithmic differentiation and numeric optimization [github ]
• Ceres Solver - Large scale nonlinear optimization library [github ]
• eigen-qld - Interface to use the QLD QP solver with the Eigen3 library [github ]
• EXOTica - Generic optimisation toolset for robotics platforms [github ]
• hpipm - High-performance interior-point-method QP solvers (Ipopt, Snopt) [github ]
• HYPRE - Parallel solvers for sparse linear systems featuring multigrid methods [github ]
• ifopt - An Eigen-based, light-weight C++ Interface to Nonlinear Programming Solvers (Ipopt, Snopt) [github ]
• Ipopt - Large scale nonlinear optimization library [github ]
• libcmaes - Blackbox stochastic optimization using the CMA-ES algorithm [github ]
• limbo - Gaussian processes and Bayesian optimization of black-box functions [github ]
• lpsolvers - Linear Programming solvers in Python with a unified API [github ]
• NLopt - Nonlinear optimization [github ]
• OptimLib - Lightweight C++ library of numerical optimization methods for nonlinear functions [github ]
• Pagmo - Scientific library for massively parallel optimization [github ]
• pymoo - Multi-objective Optimization in Python [github ]
• qpsolvers - Quadratic Programming solvers in Python with a unified API [github ]
• RobOptim - Numerical Optimization for Robotics. [github ]
• SCS - Numerical optimization for solving large-scale convex cone problems [github ]
• sferes2 - Evolutionary computation [github ]

Robot Modeling

Robot Model Description Format

• SDF - XML format that describes objects and environments for robot simulators, visualization, and control (bitbucket)
• urdf - XML format for representing a robot model [github ]

Utility to Build Robot Models

• phobos - Add-on for Blender creating URDF and SMURF robot models [github ]

Robot Platform

• AutoRally - High-performance testbed for advanced perception and control research [github ]
• Linorobot - ROS compatible ground robots [github ]
  • onine - Service Robot based on Linorobot and Braccio Arm [github ]
• Rock - Software framework for robotic systems
• ROS - Flexible framework for writing robot software [github repos]
• ROS 2 - Version 2.0 of the Robot Operating System (ROS) software stack [github repos]
• YARP - Communication and device interfaces applicable from humanoids to embedded devices [github ]

SLAM

• Cartographer - Real-time SLAM in 2D and 3D across multiple platforms and sensor configurations [github ]
• DSO - Novel direct and sparse formulation for Visual Odometry [github ]
• ElasticFusion - Real-time dense visual SLAM system [github ]
• fiducials - Simultaneous localization and mapping using fiducial markers [github ]
• GTSAM - Smoothing and mapping (SAM) in robotics and vision [bitbucket]
• Kintinuous - Real-time large scale dense visual SLAM system [github ]
• LSD-SLAM - Real-time monocular SLAM [github ]
• ORB-SLAM2 - Real-time SLAM library for Monocular, Stereo and RGB-D cameras [github ]
• RTAP-Map - RGB-D Graph SLAM approach based on a global Bayesian loop closure detector [github ]
• SRBA - Solving SLAM/BA in relative coordinates with flexibility for different submapping strategies [github ]

SLAM Dataset

• Awesome SLAM Datasets

Vision

• ViSP - Visual Servoing Platform [github ]

Fluid

• Fluid Engine Dev - Jet - Fluid simulation engine for computer graphics applications [github ]

Multiphysics

• Kratos - Framework for building parallel multi-disciplinary simulation software [github ]

Math

• Fastor - Light-weight high performance tensor algebra framework in C++11/14/17 [github ]
• linalg.h - Single header public domain linear algebra library for C++11 [github ]
• manif - Small c++11 header-only library for Lie theory. [github ]
• Sophus - Lie groups using Eigen [github ]
• SpaceVelAlg - Spatial vector algebra with the Eigen3 [github ]

ETC

• fuse - General architecture for performing sensor fusion live on a robot [github ]

Other Awesome Lists

• Awesome Robotics (Kiloreux)
• Awesome Robotics (ahundt)
• Awesome Robotic Tooling
• Awesome Artificial Intelligence
• Awesome Collision Detection
• Awesome Computer Vision
• Awesome Machine Learning
• Awesome Deep Learning
• Awesome Gazebo
• Awesome Grasping
• Awesome Human Robot Interaction
• PythonRobotics - Python sample codes for robotics algorithms

Contributing

Contributions are very welcome! Please read the contribution guidelines first. Also, please feel free to report any error.

License