URLab-Sim/UnrealRoboticsLab

What it solves

URLab solves the gap between high-fidelity physics simulation and photorealistic rendering for robotics. It allows researchers and developers to use MuJoCo's precise contact dynamics while leveraging Unreal Engine 5's advanced lighting, materials, and camera systems, avoiding the need to choose between simulation accuracy and visual quality.

How it works

URLab is an Unreal Engine 5 plugin that embeds the MuJoCo physics engine directly into the editor and runtime. The physics engine runs on its own dedicated thread to maintain accuracy, while Unreal Engine handles the visual rendering. It supports importing MJCF (.xml) models to create Articulation Blueprints and provides multiple control interfaces, including Blueprints, a built-in dashboard, Python, and ROS 2 via a network bridge.

Who it’s for

It is designed for robotics researchers and developers who need high-fidelity simulation environments for testing robot controllers, evaluating policies, and capturing realistic sensor data (RGB, depth, and segmentation).

Highlights

• MuJoCo Integration: Direct embedding of MuJoCo physics for accurate contact dynamics, including support for joints, actuators, tendons, and muscles.
• Photorealistic Rendering: Uses Unreal Engine 5 for high-quality visuals and camera intrinsics.
• Flexible Control: Supports control via Blueprints, Python, and ROS 2.
• Sensor Suite: Captures RGB, depth, and segmentation data alongside MuJoCo's internal sensors.
• Deterministic Replay: Ability to record and play back entire simulation episodes.
• Visual Debugging: Includes overlays for collision, segmentation, and body-island visualization.