Open-Source Technologies for Industrial Robotics Education in Industry 4.0

Marica Marius-Constantin () and Bostan Ionel
Additional contact information
Marica Marius-Constantin: Doctoral School of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest
Bostan Ionel: Department of Electronics, Communications and Computers, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Pitești University Centre, Pitesti, Romania

Enformation Conference Proceedings Series, 2026, vol. 17, 123-137

Abstract: This paper addresses a gap in the current literature, namely the absence of a systematic, educationally oriented comparative framework for open-source robotics simulation platforms in the context of Industry 4.0 curricula. While platforms including Gazebo, Webots, and CoppeliaSim are widely used in academic settings, no consolidated study has evaluated them simultaneously against criteria specific to educational environments, such as ease of use, hardware accessibility, pedagogical resource availability, and alignment with ROS 2. Using a multi-criteria evaluation framework applied across four dimensions, specifically ROS 2 integration, ease of use, hardware accessibility, and availability of pedagogical resources, this paper systematically compares Gazebo, Webots, and CoppeliaSim as primary simulation platforms, with contextual references to emerging tools including NVIDIA Isaac Sim and MuJoCo (Multi-Joint dynamics with Contact). The evaluation is grounded in the specific requirements of engineering education programmes targeting Industry 4.0 competencies, where students must acquire practical robotics skills without direct access to industrial hardware. The results indicate that no single platform is optimal across all educational contexts. Webots offers the lowest barrier to entry and is most suitable for introductory courses, while Gazebo, being tightly coupled with ROS 2, is recommended for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level instruction. CoppeliaSim, through its educational license and modular scripting architecture, provides unique advantages for teaching control systems concepts. The paper concludes with a proposed learning pathway for progressive integration of open-source tools across an academic robotics curriculum, along with practical recommendations for laboratory setup and course design.

Keywords: engineering education; simulation-based learning; active learning; competency-based education; virtual laboratory; curriculum design; open-source tools; robotics pedagogy; Industry 4.0 education. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://conferinta.e-nformation.ro/wp-content/uplo ... rticol_8_ALLS_17.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:enf:proc26:art8:v:17

DOI: 10.63467/alls17.art8

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Enformation Conference Proceedings Series
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Preda, Claudia-Andreea ().