Open and Inspect URDF Robot Files in 3D

A free browser-based URDF viewer for ROS robotics engineers. Load a Unified Robot Description Format file, visualise every link and joint in 3D, upload STL mesh files for accurate geometry, and drag joint sliders to animate the kinematic chain — no installation, runs right in your browser.

How to use the URDF viewer

1
Load your URDF

Drag a .urdf or .xml file onto the upload zone, or click to browse. The robot appears in the 3D viewport immediately.

2
Add mesh files

If your URDF references STL meshes, drop them into the mesh upload zone. They are matched by filename automatically.

3
Inspect the kinematic tree

The tree panel shows every link and joint with their type. Fixed joints are grey, revolute joints blue.

4
Articulate joints

Use the sliders in the Articulation panel to rotate or translate movable joints within their defined limits.

5
Navigate the 3D view

Left-drag to orbit, right-drag to pan, scroll to zoom. Toggle grid, axes and wireframe from the viewport buttons.

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Parse any URDF file, inspect the kinematic tree and articulate joints live in your browser

Drop a URDF file here
Unified Robot Description Format (.urdf or .xml)
URDF, XML ·
Loading robot…
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Features

Full URDF parse Live joint articulation STL mesh support Kinematic tree panel Orbit / pan / zoom viewport Built-in sample robot

Frequently asked questions

What is a URDF file?

URDF (Unified Robot Description Format) is an XML format used in ROS (Robot Operating System) to describe a robot's physical structure — its links (rigid bodies) and joints (connections), plus visual and collision geometry.

Which joint types are supported?

Fixed, revolute, continuous, and prismatic joints are fully supported. Floating and planar joints are parsed and shown in the tree but are not articulated via sliders (they are rare in practice).

My meshes do not appear — what should I do?

The viewer matches mesh files by filename only. Drop the .stl files referenced in your URDF into the mesh upload zone. Missing meshes are shown as orange wireframe cubes and listed below the viewport.

Are DAE (Collada) meshes supported?

Not in this version — DAE parsing requires a dedicated parser. Missing DAE meshes show as placeholder boxes. STL is the recommended mesh format for URDF viewing.

Does the viewer support collision geometry?

Currently only visual geometry is rendered. Collision elements are parsed but not displayed, keeping the view clean. Collision visualisation is planned for a future update.

💡 Want us to improve this tool just for you?

We can — and it's free! Just send us a quick message with your idea. If you'd like to discuss it in detail, leave your email and we'll get back to you. You can stay anonymous.

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Who is this tool for?
💻 Developers & IT Pros 🤖 Robotics
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