In a research overview, Hopcroft describes Cornell’s Modeling and Simulation Project to determine the feasibility of replacing physical prototyping with electronic prototyping of complex objects. An electronic prototype of the Stanford JPL gripper is a text file, easily edited to change finger number, length, and location. Hopcroft gives an electronic prototype of the gripper with one thumb and two fingers as well as one with two thumbs and two fingers.

Schematic editors are used to study assemblies at various levels of abstraction. Model-driven simulators study a collection of rigid objects that are hinged together, move, and make contact with one another. A simulation of a walking person is performed from hinged objects and dynamic equations. Hopcroft feels that electronic labs could allow the debugging of robotics programs electronically at reduced costs.