ARTiSt - an augmented reality testbed for intelligent technical systems

This paper describes a simulation and visualization environment called ARTiSt (Augmented Reality Testbed for intelligent technical Systems), which serves as a tool for developing extension modules for the miniature robot BeBot. It allows developers to simulate, visualize, analyze, and optimize new simulated components with existing, real system components. In ARTiSt real BeBots combined with virtual prototypes of a lifter- and a transporter-module, which are attached on top of the real BeBot. The simulation of the virtual components and the management of real BeBots are realized with MATLAB/Simulink. The determination of important parameters for the simulation of the real BeBots, such as real-world position and -rotation, is done using an Augmented Reality tracking system. A camera, installed on top of the testbed, continuously captures the testbed and determines the real-world transformation of the BeBots. The calculated transformations are the basis for further pathfinding within the simulation in MATLAB/Simulink.