Robot Simulation in Unity

This project is a Unity simulation of a basic differential drive robot navigating a randomly generated terrain. The simulation includes physics-based movement, stability control, terrain generation, and boundary walls to prevent the robot from leaving the simulation area. The robot can be controlled using keyboard inputs, and it displays real-time information such as position, speed, pitch, yaw, and roll.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Getting Started
  • Prerequisites
  • Project Setup
• Scripts Overview
  • RobotController
  • RandomTerrainGenerator
  • RobotPositionAdjuster
  • TerrainWallBuilder
• Usage
  • Controls
  • Simulation Behavior
• Customization
• Contributing
• License

---

Features

• Differential Drive Robot Simulation: Simulate a robot with forward/backward movement and rotation using keyboard inputs.
• Physics-Based Interaction: The robot interacts with the terrain and obstacles realistically, including collision detection and gravity.
• Stability Control: Monitors the robot's pitch, yaw, and roll to prevent flipping and handle flips when they occur.
• Random Terrain Generation: Generates a new, gently rolling terrain each time the simulation starts.
• Automatic Robot Positioning: Ensures the robot starts above the terrain surface to prevent falling through.
• Boundary Walls: Adds walls around the terrain to prevent the robot from leaving the simulation area.
• Real-Time Debug Display: Shows the robot's position, speed, pitch, yaw, and roll on the screen during the simulation.

---

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Unity: Version 2019.4 or later is recommended.
• Basic Knowledge of Unity: Familiarity with the Unity Editor and basic concepts like GameObjects, Components, and scripting in C#.

Project Setup

1. Clone or Download the Project Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/robot-simulation-unity.git
   

2. Open the Project in Unity:

   • Launch Unity Hub.
   • Click on Add and navigate to the cloned project folder.
   • Select the project and open it.

3. Set Up the Scene:

   • Open the main scene (e.g., Assets/Scenes/MainScene.unity).
   • Ensure all scripts and assets are imported correctly.

4. Configure the Terrain:

   • The terrain should already be set up with the necessary components and scripts attached.
   • If not, follow the instructions in the Scripts Overview section.

---

Scripts Overview

RobotController

Purpose: Controls the robot's movement, handles stability logic, and displays real-time information on the screen.

Key Features:

• Movement Control: Uses keyboard inputs to move and rotate the robot.
• Stability Monitoring: Checks pitch, yaw, and roll to detect instability.
• Flip Handling: Stops movement if the robot flips and provides options to reset or await self-correction.
• On-Screen Display: Shows position, speed, pitch, yaw, and roll.

Setup:

1. Attach the Script:

   • Attach RobotController.cs to the robot GameObject.

2. Assign References:

   • In the Inspector, assign the Terrain object to the terrain field.

3. Configure Parameters:

   • Adjust moveSpeed, turnSpeed, and stabilityThreshold as needed.

RandomTerrainGenerator

Purpose: Generates a random terrain with gentle slopes every time the simulation starts.

Key Features:

• Perlin Noise Generation: Creates natural-looking terrain using Perlin noise.
• Smoothing Function: Applies smoothing to reduce sharp edges and create rolling hills.
• Dynamic Size Adaptation: Adjusts to cover the entire terrain area.

Setup:

1. Attach the Script:

   • Attach RandomTerrainGenerator.cs to an empty GameObject or the terrain itself.

2. Assign References:

   • Assign the Terrain object in the Inspector.

3. Configure Parameters:

   • Adjust terrainDepth, scale, and smoothing iterations if necessary.

RobotPositionAdjuster

Purpose: Positions the robot above the terrain surface at the start of the simulation.

Key Features:

• Terrain Height Sampling: Uses the terrain's height data to position the robot.
• Offset Application: Adds an offset to ensure the robot doesn't clip into the terrain.

Setup:

Note: This functionality has been integrated into the RobotController script.

• Ensure the terrain reference is assigned in the RobotController script.
• The robot will automatically adjust its position in the Start() method.

TerrainWallBuilder

Purpose: Creates boundary walls around the terrain to prevent the robot from falling off the edges.

Key Features:

• Automatic Wall Creation: Generates walls based on the terrain's size.
• Customizable Dimensions: Allows adjustment of wall height and thickness.
• Physical Barriers: Walls have colliders to interact with the robot physically.

Setup:

1. Attach the Script:

   • Attach TerrainWallBuilder.cs to an empty GameObject.

2. Assign References:

   • Assign the Terrain object in the Inspector.

3. Configure Parameters:

   • Set wallHeight and wallThickness according to your needs.

---

Usage

Controls

• Forward/Backward: W / S keys
• Turn Left/Right: A / D keys
• Reset Simulation: Click the "Restart Simulation" button when prompted.

Simulation Behavior

• Stability Monitoring:

  • If the robot's pitch or roll exceeds the stabilityThreshold, it will stop moving.
  • An on-screen prompt will appear if the robot flips, offering the option to reset.

• Self-Correction:

  • If the robot rights itself, a message will display for 10 seconds before auto-closing.

• Terrain Generation:

  • A new terrain is generated each time you start the simulation, providing varied environments.

• Boundary Walls:

  • Walls prevent the robot from leaving the terrain area, ensuring the simulation stays within bounds.

---

Customization

• Adjusting Movement Speeds:

  • Modify moveSpeed and turnSpeed in the RobotController script.

• Changing Stability Threshold:

  • Adjust stabilityThreshold to make the robot more or less sensitive to flipping.

• Terrain Settings:

  • In RandomTerrainGenerator, tweak terrainDepth, scale, and the smoothing function to change terrain roughness.

• Wall Dimensions:

  • In TerrainWallBuilder, alter wallHeight and wallThickness to adjust the size of the boundary walls.

• Visual Appearance:

  • Add textures or materials to the terrain and walls to enhance visual fidelity.

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request with your improvements.

---

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

---