SIL/HIL Integration with Isaac Sim

[cagataycali]

Description

Modular integration with Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) workflows should be considered. This requires creating dedicated tooling and establishing API communication with a Simulator, as no integration exists currently.

Current State

No SIL/HIL integration exists in the current implementation.

Requirements

Software-in-the-Loop (SIL)

• Simulation-only testing
• Fast iteration cycles
• No physical hardware required
• Integration with Isaac Sim

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)

• Real hardware + simulation environment
• Hybrid testing approach
• Sim-to-real validation
• Physical robot integration with simulated sensors

Implementation Considerations

1. Simulator API Communication

   • Define communication protocol with Isaac Sim
   • REST/gRPC API design
   • Real-time data streaming

2. Tooling Requirements

   • Test harness for SIL/HIL
   • Data collection and analysis
   • Visualization tools

3. Isaac Sim Integration

   • Scene setup automation
   • Asset management
   • Simulation control API

References

• NVIDIA Isaac Sim documentation
• isaac_manipulator examples for ROS2-based simulation

Acceptance Criteria

• SIL/HIL architecture designed
• Isaac Sim API integration implemented
• Test harness created
• Example workflows documented
• Unit and integration tests
• Performance benchmarking

Priority

Low - Future enhancement, depends on Issue #3 (ROS2 integration)