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Module 2: The Digital Twin (Gazebo & Unity)

🎯 Module Overview​

Welcome to Module 2! Learn to create digital twins—virtual replicas of physical robots that enable safe testing and rapid iteration before hardware deployment.

🌐 What is a Digital Twin?​

A digital twin is a virtual model that:

  • Simulates physics (gravity, friction, collisions)
  • Replicates sensor behavior (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs)
  • Enables testing without hardware risk
  • Generates synthetic training data

📚 What You'll Learn​

  1. ✅ Physics simulation with Gazebo
  2. ✅ High-fidelity rendering with Unity
  3. ✅ Sensor simulation (LiDAR, depth cameras, IMUs)
  4. ✅ Human-robot interaction scenarios

📖 Module Structure​

1. Gazebo Simulation​

  • Physics engines and world building
  • Robot spawning and control
  • Contact dynamics and collisions

2. Unity Rendering​

  • Photorealistic environments
  • Human avatars and interactions
  • Real-time visualization

3. Sensor Simulation​

  • LiDAR point clouds
  • RGB-D cameras
  • Inertial Measurement Units

4. Hands-On Lab​

  • Build complete simulation environment
  • Integrate sensors with ROS 2
  • Test humanoid behaviors

Next: Gazebo Simulation →