Can the Webots Robot Simulator be Used for Self-Driving Motorcycle Controller Design?

While several commercial software packages for simulating the dynamics of robot or human-ridden Single-Track Vehicles (STV s) such as bicycles, motorcycles, or other Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) are common in the literature, open-source options for high-fidelity simulations of STV dynamics are limited. This paper explores whether the open-source Webots robot simulator is capable of representing the dynamics of STV s with sufficient fidelity to allow for robotic rider design. Data from a small-scale self-balancing PTW are compared with both a linear dynamic model and with simulation results from a nonlinear, multi-body model of the vehicle custom-built in Webots. Results indicate that Webots's physics engine provides sufficient dynamic fidelity to accurately represent the behavior of the vehicle in both simple step response tests and in assisted teleoperation with automatic starting and stopping via a motorized kickstand.