Gaden-RT: A real time and interactive gas dispersion simulator for mobile robotics

The dispersion of volatile substances in the air is a complex phenomenon that is relevant to many practical problems. The study of this issue and the development of techniques to deal with it greatly benefit from the use of accurate simulation tools. However, simulation with numerical CFD models is not always applicable, particularly in cases where computational cost is a concern or those that require integration with external software such as robotic platforms. In this article, we present Gaden-RT, which is based on the Gaden simulator, a widely employed tool in the field of robotics research, which uses the filament model to simulate the dispersion of gas in complex environments. We present multiple new features and improvements, including a modified workflow, which allows for faster-than-real-time simulation and online interaction. Thus, Gaden-RT introduces novel simulation capabilities to the state of the art by allowing for the modeling of the airflow disturbances caused by moving robotic agents. The software is made available as an open-source project through an on-line repository. 1 1 https://github.com/MAPIRlab/gaden_core .