Java software platform for the development of advanced robotic virtual laboratories

Abstract This article presents an interactive Java software platform which enables any user to easily create advanced virtual laboratories (VLs) for Robotics. This novel tool provides both support for developing applications with full 3D interactive graphical interface and a complete functional framework for modelling and simulation of arbitrary serial‐link manipulators. In addition, its software architecture contains a high number of functionalities included as high‐level tools, with the advantage of allowing any user to easily develop complex interactive robotic simulations with a minimum of programming. In order to show the features of the platform, the article describes, step‐by‐step, the implementation methodology of a complete VL for Robotics education using the presented approach. Finally, some educational results about the experience of implementing this approach are reported. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21:E14–E30, 2013