Simulation of robots in a virtual domain has multiple benefits. End users can use the simulation as a training tool to
increase their skill with the vehicle without risking damage to the robot or surrounding environment. Simulation allows
researchers and developers to benchmark robot performance in a range of scenarios without having the physical robot or
environment present. The simulation can also help guide and generate new design concepts. USARSim (Unified
System for Automation and Robot Simulation) is a tool that is being used to accomplish these goals, particularly within
the realm of search and rescue. It is based on the Unreal Tournament 2004 gaming engine, which approximates the
physics of how a robot interacts with its environment. A family of vehicles that can benefit from simulation in
USARSim are WhegsTM robots. Developed in the Biorobotics Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University,
WhegsTM robots are highly mobile ground vehicles that use abstracted biological principles to achieve a robust level of
locomotion, including passive gait adaptation and enhanced climbing abilities. This paper describes a WhegsTM robot
model that was constructed in USARSim. The model was configured with the same kinds of behavioral characteristics
found in real WhegsTM vehicles. Once these traits were implemented, a validation study was performed using identical
performance metrics measured on both the virtual and real vehicles to quantify vehicle performance and to ensure that
the virtual robot's performance matched that of the real robot.
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