Army Robot Simulation Technology now available to students free

Colleges and universities are getting their hands on cutting-edge U.S. Army technology. Quantum Signal, an advanced engineering company specializing in robotics and simulation, has developed a revolutionary engineering simulation tool called ANVEL. And Quantum Signal is distributing it free of charge.

ANVEL is a vehicle simulation software application unlike other simulations; it allows developers to rigorously test and analyze robotic vehicle systems in lush, 3D environments. ANVEL leverages realistic physics with high-quality, multimedia visualization techniques to form an intuitive and accurate engineering tool. The technology takes advantage of open source software employed by the video game industry to yield characteristics uncommon to traditional engineering simulators.

ANVEL provides a modular "virtual proving ground" for developing and testing vehicle technologies in an interactive, visual manner. The application simulates a wide collection of variables that are involved in vehicle operation, from physical mobility to detecting and analyzing the world through sensors to the controlling logic that guides vehicles. Engineers can easily build virtual test environments, manipulate key parameters, change aspects of the terrain, add or remove sensors, and interactively test robotic vehicles under a variety of conditions.

This combination of real-world physics and real-time interactivity makes ANVEL a truly innovative tool that can help power the development of revolutionary robotic technologies in universities, where budgets and other constraints pose significant limitations.

"Modeling and simulation will play a major role in advancing the state of the art in mobile robotics," said Mitch Rohde, CEO of Quantum Signal. "I can't think of a better audience for ANVEL than those in our institutions of higher learning. Students and their faculty will lead the way into the robotic future, and we're excited to support their creative efforts."

Along with the software, Quantum Signal has developed a website (www.anvelsim.com) for users to interact and collaborate as a community of student developers. Interested developers can learn about the technology and request a license for download.

ANVEL was originally developed under contract for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to test autonomous navigation suites and algorithms on specific robots and vehicles. The application is now being made available free of charge to students, faculty, and staff at qualified U.S. academic institutions.

For more information about ANVEL, check out the ANVEL: Academic Edition website at anvelsim.com . For more information about Quantum Signal LLC, see quantumsignal.com

Provided by ANVEL