Multiple instantiations of `MultiBodyPlant` and `iiwa`. about manipulation HOT 3 CLOSED

Having two different models is the most common workflow, and I think appropriate. The first model (called plant) is the model used by the physics engine; it includes both the robot and the objects in the world. The second model (called here controller_plant) is the robot's "internal model" used for control; it only includes the robot itself (and in fact has a welded version of the gripper). This corresponds to the model that the iiwa control station has in its software stack; which really does have only the dynamics of the arm + a rigid "tool" inertia.

from manipulation.

In this code, the plant is the physics engine, and the controller_plant is the internal model. You can model all sorts of combinations of things, but yes, I would say if you have n robots that all have their own internal models, then you would likely end up with n+1 plants.

from manipulation.

Ah I see, I misunderstood the plant to be the physics engine. Does this mean that if you load n robots into the scene, your code needs to always have n+1 instantiations of MultiBodyPlant - in the case of maintaining a controller for each robot?

from manipulation.