In this chapter, we will learn about a modular micro aerial vehicle (MAV) simulator framework, which enables us to quick start performing research and development on MAVs. After completing this chapter, we will have a ready-to-use MAV simulator, including control and state estimation. The simulator will be designed in a modular way, where different controllers and state estimators can be implied interchangeably to incorporate any new MAVs in a few steps by only changing a parameter file. Moreover, we will also compare different controllers and state estimators with the provided evaluation framework.

The simulator framework is a good starting point for handling higher-level tasks such as collision avoidance and path planning with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). We will discuss the design of all components, which will be analogous to their real world counterparts. Thus, this enables the usage of the same controllers and state estimators, including their configuration parameters, in the simulation as well as in the real MAV.