📝 Gazebo
Description
< What is it? >
Gazebo is an open-source robotics simulator. Gazebo Sim provides 3D environments with physics, rendering, robot models, sensors, plugins, and message-based interfaces so developers can test robot software before using physical hardware.
- Example: a developer can load a mobile robot with a simulated LiDAR and camera into a warehouse scene, run its navigation stack, and inspect collisions or localization failures without risking the real robot.
Key points
< What it simulates >
- Physics: gravity, contacts, joints, rigid bodies, and actuators through supported physics engines.
- Sensors: cameras, depth cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, GPS-like sensors, and other virtual measurements.
- Worlds and robot models: 3D scenes and robot descriptions, commonly represented with Simulation Description Format (SDF) and often imported from other formats.
- Extensions: plugins and message interfaces that customize behavior, sensors, controllers, and integration.
< Gazebo and ROS 2 >
Gazebo and ROS 2 are complementary. Gazebo produces simulated sensor data and applies simulated commands; ROS 2 can carry those messages between the simulator and the robot software stack.
Gazebo world and robot
→ simulated camera, LiDAR, and IMU data
→ ROS 2 perception, localization, and planning nodes
→ ROS 2 command messages
→ simulated robot motion in Gazebo
< Gazebo Sim and Gazebo Classic >
Current documentation calls the modern simulator Gazebo Sim. Older tutorials may refer to Gazebo Classic or Ignition Gazebo; their commands, plugins, and APIs can differ. Check the simulator version when following a tutorial or choosing packages.
Comparison
< Gazebo vs Isaac Sim >
| Gazebo | Isaac Sim | |
|---|---|---|
| Ecosystem | Open-source Gazebo and ROS-oriented ecosystem | NVIDIA Omniverse and Isaac ecosystem |
| Typical strength | Flexible open-source robotics simulation and ROS 2 workflows | GPU-accelerated, photorealistic simulation and synthetic data generation |
| Robot learning | Can support learning workflows through external tools | Works closely with Isaac Lab for large-scale robot learning |
| Integration | Commonly paired with ROS 2 | Supports ROS 2 bridges and NVIDIA tooling |
Related ideas
- Simulation & Development introduces the broader tool category.
- Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) commonly connects Gazebo to robot software nodes.
- Isaac Sim is another robotics simulator with a different ecosystem and emphasis.
- Localization & Mapping covers capabilities that can be evaluated in a simulated world.