[PeterStuer]

Getting a robot to fully path cover a surface by a random walk type algorithm is surprizingly difficult. One of the nuances most simulators do not fully grasp is that there are path rectifiers that emerge from physical interactions. Examples are collisions with walls where even though the robot comes in at a range of different angles, due to momentum and friction variance is lost and it leaves in a more narrow set of angles. Another example is grooved surfaces such as you find on wooden or tiled floors where slight angles to the groove are passively adjusted to the groove.

I worked extensively on small robotic vehicles in the 80's and 90's. My undergrad thesis was on a robotic simulator.