--- title: "holodeck vs redtail" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/byu-pccl-holodeck-vs-nvidia-ai-iot-redtail" tools: ["byu-pccl-holodeck", "nvidia-ai-iot-redtail"] --- # holodeck vs redtail *GraphCanon updated Jul 31, 2026* ## Verdict Pick holodeck if holodeck is a high-fidelity simulator for reinforcement learning and robotics research in Python using Unreal Engine, suited for creating detailed simulated environments; pick redtail if redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. [holodeck](https://holodeck.cs.byu.edu) reports 597 GitHub stars, 42 forks, and 52 open issues, last pushed Feb 19, 2022. [redtail](https://github.com/NVIDIA-AI-IOT/redtail) has 1.0k stars, 340 forks, and 48 open issues, last pushed Nov 17, 2020. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [holodeck's repository](https://github.com/BYU-PCCL/holodeck) and [redtail's repository](https://github.com/NVIDIA-AI-IOT/redtail). | | [holodeck](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck.md) | [redtail](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | High Fidelity Simulator for Reinforcement Learning and Robotics Research | Perception and AI components for autonomous mobile robotics. | | Stars | 597 | 1,046 | | Forks | 42 | 340 | | Open issues | 52 | 48 | | Language | Python | C++ | | Adopt for | Holodeck is a high-fidelity simulator for reinforcement learning and robotics research in Python using Unreal Engine, suited for creating detailed simulated environments. | Redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause | | Categories | Computer Vision, Model Training | Computer Vision, Model Training | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [holodeck](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck.md) | [redtail](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 1623d | 2081d | | Open issues (now) | 52 | 48 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: holodeck - **Adopt for:** Holodeck is a high-fidelity simulator for reinforcement learning and robotics research in Python using Unreal Engine, suited for creating detailed simulated environments. ## Decision facts: redtail - **Adopt for:** Redtail project by NVIDIA offers autonomous visual navigation components for drones and ground vehicles using deep learning on Jetson platforms. ## Choose when ### Choose holodeck if… - holodeck is primarily Python; redtail is C++. - License: holodeck is MIT, redtail is BSD-3-Clause. - Tags unique to holodeck: reinforcement-learning, simulator, unreal-engine. - - When you need to simulate complex robotics scenes in high fidelity that mirror real-world scenarios accurately ### Choose redtail if… - redtail is primarily C++; holodeck is Python. - License: redtail is BSD-3-Clause, holodeck is MIT. - Tags unique to redtail: artificial-intelligence, deep-learning, jetson. - For developers working withJetson embedded systems aiming to deploy advanced perception systems in unstructured environments ## When NOT to use holodeck - - If your project is limited to simpler scenarios where less detailed simulations are acceptable for training reinforcement learning models - - For projects with constraints on computing resources since Unreal Engine can be demanding and this limits its use in resource-constrained environments. ## When NOT to use redtail - If you do not have access to Jetson hardware as the project is tightly integrated with this specific platform - For robotics applications that demand constant updates and new features since Redtail development has ceased ## Common questions ### What is the difference between holodeck and redtail? holodeck: High Fidelity Simulator for Reinforcement Learning and Robotics Research. redtail: Perception and AI components for autonomous mobile robotics.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose holodeck over redtail? Choose holodeck over redtail when holodeck is primarily Python; redtail is C++; License: holodeck is MIT, redtail is BSD-3-Clause; Tags unique to holodeck: reinforcement-learning, simulator, unreal-engine; - When you need to simulate complex robotics scenes in high fidelity that mirror real-world scenarios accurately. ### When should I choose redtail over holodeck? Choose redtail over holodeck when redtail is primarily C++; holodeck is Python; License: redtail is BSD-3-Clause, holodeck is MIT; Tags unique to redtail: artificial-intelligence, deep-learning, jetson; For developers working withJetson embedded systems aiming to deploy advanced perception systems in unstructured environments. ### When should I avoid holodeck? - If your project is limited to simpler scenarios where less detailed simulations are acceptable for training reinforcement learning models - For projects with constraints on computing resources since Unreal Engine can be demanding and this limits its use in resource-constrained environments. ### When should I avoid redtail? If you do not have access to Jetson hardware as the project is tightly integrated with this specific platform For robotics applications that demand constant updates and new features since Redtail development has ceased ### Is holodeck or redtail more popular on GitHub? redtail has more GitHub stars (1,046 vs 597). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are holodeck and redtail open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (holodeck: MIT, redtail: BSD-3-Clause). ### Where can I find alternatives to holodeck or redtail? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [holodeck alternatives](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/alternatives) and [redtail alternatives](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/alternatives) ([holodeck markdown twin](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/alternatives.md), [redtail markdown twin](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/byu-pccl-holodeck-vs-nvidia-ai-iot-redtail.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, holodeck or redtail? holodeck: Dormant. redtail: Dormant. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for holodeck and redtail? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [holodeck trust report](/tools/byu-pccl-holodeck/trust); [redtail trust report](/tools/nvidia-ai-iot-redtail/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=byu-pccl-holodeck`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=byu-pccl-holodeck) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_