MARS: a Matlab simulator for mobile robotics experiments

This paper describes a Matlab simulator for mobile robotics experiments called MARS. This tool allows the simulation of team of robots in structured and unstructured environments. Several kinds of experiments can be performed, ranging from single to multi-robots, from cooperative to competitive tasks, using both centralized and distributed controllers. Robots may be equipped with virtual sensors to detect obstacles in the environment. This project is mainly intended for educational aims, and thanks to the use of the Matlab language, it allows students to easily design control laws for teams of robots and to simulate their behavior through a suitable animation.