dmiklic/p3dx-guide-control

A ROS package for guiding an actor using a Pioneer 3DX mobile robot, with a laser scan

p3dx-guide-control

A ROS package for guiding an actor using a Pioneer 3DX mobile robot, with a laser scan

The package can be used with ROS2 packages ros1_bridge and navigation2, but can also be used solely on ROS.

Dependencies

ROS:

• ariac_environment (https://github.com/romb-technologies/ariac_environment)

• navigation (https://github.com/ros-planning/navigation)

• obstacle_detector (https://github.com/tysik/obstacle_detector)

• timed_roslaunch (https://github.com/MoriKen254/timed_roslaunch)

• ira_laser_tools (https://github.com/iralabdisco/ira_laser_tools)

ROS2:

• ros1_bridge (https://github.com/ros2/ros1_bridge)

• navigation2 (https://github.com/ros-planning/navigation2/)

Usage

ROS

Simulation - launch sequence

Note: Before launching, the following environment variable must be set (in every terminal where nodes are launched):

export ROBOT_NAME=pioneer

Due to some hardcoded stuff, other ROBOT_NAME values will probably not work.

1st step - full_launch_local.launch

Launches all the main simulation and utility nodes, including:

• fake_localization node: set frame IDs accordingly

• map_server node: set frame ID accordingly

• upload_actor.xml include: set start_x, start_y and actor_name accordingly

• guide_control.py node:

  Parameters:
  ~guide_distance: desired distance to the guided actor
  ~actor_tolerance: how much the actor can move between samples (in m) and still be locked in
  ~map_frame: frame ID of the map
  ~robot_frame: frame ID of the robot

  Subscribed topics:
  cmd_vel_dwb (geometry_msgs:Twist): original navigation stack velocity to correct
  odom (nav_msgs:Odometry): odometry topic of the robot
  obstacles (obstacle_detector:Obstacles): list of tracked obstacles

  Published topics:
  cmd_vel (geometry_msgs:Twist): velocity to be used by the robot driver
  tracked_actor (obstacle_detector:CircleObstacle): tracked actor position info
  robot_position (geometry_msgs:Pose): robot position info `

• in launch file detect_obstacles.launch under laserscan_multi_merger node set destination_frame, scan_destination_topic and laserscan_topics accordingly. Also play with the obstacle_extractor_node parameters.

2nd step - actor_controller.launch

Launches the teleop-style controller for the actor spawner and driver that were launched previously.
Argument: actor_name, set to the same value as the actor_name from the previous launch.

3rd step - move_base.launch

Launches the navigation stack with a remap from cmd_vel to cmd_vel_dwb so the guide_control.py node can correct the velocities. All the relevant parameters are set through YAML files in the navigation folder, according to navigation stack definitions.

4th step - set goal and control actor

Set a goal through the rviz tool or a publisher of your choice on the corresponding topic (navstack dependent, usually move_base_simple/goal). The robot should start navigating towards it and slow down as it moves away from the actor. Track the info about the actor through the terminal in which the first launch was called. Control the actor through the second therminal (actor_controller.launch).

Pioneer P3-DX

Provided launch file for ROS2 requires completion of arguments map_dir (string, full path up to and including the map.yaml file) and param_dir (string, full path up to and including the robot_params.yaml file). The latter file format is as presented in https://github.com/ros-planning/navigation2/blob/master/nav2_bringup/launch/nav2_params.yaml, which can be used as-is for testing purposes.