Creating a training area for our robot

We will be estimating a robot’s location in a space. The robot needs a known space to work in, so we will build a simple world for it to operate in. This training area, or arena, is loosely based on those used in Pi Wars (see https://piwars.org/2022-competition/general-rules/ under Arena construction rules), a British robotics competition, where this algorithm could be used for a robot to compete autonomously.

Let’s take a closer look at the arena.

What we will make

The following diagram shows the arena we will make:

Figure 13.1 – A robot test arena

Figure 13.1 shows a top-view drawing of an arena, complete with dimensions. The arena is mostly square to keep it simple to make and model. To help the Monte Carlo simulation work, there must be a cutout on one side to prevent rotational symmetry – that is, you can’t rotate the arena and have it appear identical from multiple angles...