Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research faces challenges with safety, scalability, costs, and ecological impact when conducting hardware testing. High-fidelity simulators offer a vital solution by replicating real-world conditions to enable the development and evaluation of novel perception and control algorithms. However, the large number of available simulators poses a significant challenge for researchers to determine which simulator best suits their specific use-case, based on each simulator's limitations and customization readiness. In this paper we present an overview of 43 UAV simulators, including in-depth, systematic comparisons for 17 of the simulators. Additionally, we present a set of decision factors for selection of simulators, aiming to enhance the efficiency and safety of research endeavors.

翻译：无人机（UAV）研究在进行硬件测试时面临安全性、可扩展性、成本及生态影响等方面的挑战。高保真仿真器通过复现真实世界条件，为新型感知与控制算法的开发与评估提供了关键解决方案。然而，现有的大量仿真器使研究人员难以根据各仿真器的局限性与定制化准备情况，确定最适合其特定应用场景的仿真器。本文概述了43种无人机仿真器，并对其中17种进行了深入、系统的比较。此外，我们提出了一套用于选择仿真器的决策因素，旨在提高研究工作的效率与安全性。