Phobos is an add-on for Blender that simplifies robot model creation. It facilitates the generation of robot models in formats like URDF, SDF, and SMURF, making them suitable for use in robotic simulation environments such as ROS, ROCK, MARS, and Gazebo. The add-on leverages Blender's existing bone system to represent kinematic chains and allows for the addition of visual, collision, and sensor components. Phobos supports export to common mesh formats like STL, OBJ, and DAE. It is developed at the Robotics Innovation Center (DFKI) in Bremen, Germany, and is designed for users requiring a visual modeling approach for robotic systems.
Phobos distinguishes itself through its integrated WYSIWYG environment within Blender, providing a user-friendly way to design robot models directly. It supports multiple export formats, offering flexibility for integration into various simulation platforms. The use of Blender's bone structure and custom objects enables a comprehensive model representation including kinematics, geometry, and sensor data. Recent refactoring allows for Phobos to be used as a standalone Python package and command line tool. It is actively maintained with frequent updates and responsive issue resolution.
- WYSIWYG Modeling: Design robot models visually within Blender.
- Multi-Format Export: Supports URDF, SDF, and SMURF for simulation.
- Sensor Integration: Add sensors like cameras and lasers to models.
- Extensible Architecture: Allows for custom objects and properties.
- Python Package: Use as a standalone Python tool.
- Command-Line Interface: Access Phobos functionality via scripts.
- Blender Integration: seamlessly integrates with the Blender UI.
Phobos is an active project with ongoing development and maintenance. It has a consistent release history and responsive issue tracking, suggesting a healthy community. The project's documentation is available online and comprehensive, covering installation, usage, and advanced features. Recent updates indicate ongoing refinement and improvement of the core functionality. Phobos is tested and running with Blender 3.3 LTS and is suitable for development and production use cases.
Robotics engineers, researchers, and hobbyists benefit from Phobos by providing a convenient way to create and export robot models for simulation and real-world deployment. It streamlines the modeling process by integrating directly into Blender, simplifying workflows and reducing the need for external modeling tools. This accelerates the development cycle for robotic applications across various platforms.