What is the difference between Player and Stage and Gazebo? What is the difference between Player device drivers and simulated device models in Stage or Gazebo?
The Player server provides an abstract interface to robotic devices, including mobile robot bases, sensors, etc. Player communicates with these specific devices using device drivers, but provides to its clients standard device interface. For example, Player may use SICK LMS-200 and Pioneer drivers, but simply provides to clients “laser” and “position” (“position” is a movable mobile robot base), “sonar”, etc. interfaces. This allows clients to be portable to other robots. The same client could work with a Player server running the “rflex” robot driver on, say, a RWI B21R or even a Roomba and a Hokuyu URG laser. Or, custom drivers you write for your own robot and devices. Player drivers are kept as plug-in modules. The Player config file determines which drivers to load and any parameters they may require. Stage and Gazebo, on the other hand, do not simulate specific devices (such as a SICK LMS-200 or Pioneer robot), instead they have configurable abstract device models (such as “laser”
