This collection features a variety of packages to help ROS users get the Parrot Bebop drone flying quickly. These examples rely on the bebop_autonomy package which acts as the driver for the robot. The entire repository should be cloned to ~/catkin_ws/src. To do so, navigate to ~/catkin_ws/src and from a terminal and enter: git clone https://github.com/EDU4RDO-SH/bebop_ros_examples.git. Then, navigate to ~/catkin_ws and compile the code with the command: catkin_make. If you are installing ROS for the first time, see the instructions here. This version has been created using the Bebop 2, ROS Kinetic, and Ubuntu 16.04.
The listed examples depend on the following external packages:
A detailed description of the correct installation of the Bebop driver can be found here.
Navigate to ~/catkin_ws/src and from a terminal and enter: git clone https://github.com/ethz-asl/mav_comm.git, then navigate to ~/catkin_ws and compile the code with the command: catkin_make. The previous steps will install the mav_comm package which includes the mav_msgs set of messages.
Next, the entire repository should be cloned to ~/catkin_ws/src by entering the command git clone https://github.com/EDU4RDO-SH/bebop_ros_examples.git and compile the code with catkin_make.
This program performs a simple takeoff, keeps the drone in hover mode 1 meter above the takeoff point for a few seconds, and then lands. For that, in a terminal run the Bebop driver:
roslaunch bebop_driver bebop_node.launch
In a new terminal execute the takeoff and land node:
roslaunch bebop_takeoff_land bebop_takeoff_land.launch
This package allows us to control the Bebop drone with the Logitech F710 gamepad. This package depends on the joy node which enables the use of the gamepad with ROS by reading the current state of each one of the joystick's buttons and axes through a sensor_msgs::Joy message. The following figure shows the configuration used.
To run this program first in a terminal, run the Bebop driver:
roslaunch bebop_driver bebop_node.launch
In a second terminal execute the teleoperation node:
roslaunch bebop_teleop_joy bebop_teleop_joy.launch
To perform any action always keep the deadman button pressed. The first step is to send a takeoff command, and once in the air the drone will be ready to receive piloting commands. The default configuration allows the Bebop move at half its maximum speed, if you desire move the drone at its maximum speed you should edit the corresponding scaling parameter in the logF710.yaml file.
This program subscribes to the /bebop/odom topic data published by the Bebop driver and populates a nav_msgs/Path message. The path generated is visualized in Rviz. To run the program, first execute the Bebop driver in a terminal:
roslaunch bebop_driver bebop_node.launch
We also make use of the bebop_teleop_joy node to move the drone around. For that, in a second terminal run:
roslaunch bebop_teleop_joy bebop_teleop_joy.launch
Finally, in a third terminal run the bebop_odometry_example node:
roslaunch bebop_odometry_example bebop_odometry_example.launch
As a result an Rviz window will pop up. Now yow can start moving the drone with the gamepad and see the path generated.
This package gets the GPS data: Latitude Longitude and Altitude provided by the drone through a sensor_msgs::NavSatFix. The values are displayed on the Bebop's camera image. Additionally, the program monitors the percentage of charge of the battery, this let us to know when it is necessary to recharge it. To run the program first execute the Bebop driver in a terminal window:
roslaunch bebop_driver bebop_node.launch
Next, run the bebop_teleop_joy node in a new terminal window to pilot the drone:
roslaunch bebop_teleop_joy bebop_teleop_joy.launch
Finally, in a third terminal window execute the bebop_gps_example node:
roslaunch bebop_gps_example bebop_gps_example.launch
It is important to note that GPS data will be available after Bebop's take off.
This package subscribes to the /bebop/cmd_vel topic and converts the twist data whose range for all fields are [-1..1] into control variables to populate a mav_msgs::RollPitchYawrateThrust message. According to the piloting section in the bebop_autonomy official site, the roll and pitch angles depend on the value of max_tilt_angle parameter, the resultig yaw rate depends on the value of max_rot_speed parameter, and the vertical speed depends on the value of max_vert_speed parameter. The resulting data is published in the /bebop/cmd_ctrl topic.
Additionally, the current control inputs applied to the drone are displayed on the camera image. This program also monitors the percentage of charge of the battery. To run the program first execute the driver in a terminal window:
roslaunch bebop_driver bebop_node.launch
Open a new terminal and run the bebop_teleop_joy node:
roslaunch bebop_teleop_joy bebop_teleop_joy.launch
Finally in a new terminal window run the bebop_control_inputs node:
roslaunch bebop_control_inputs bebop_control_inputs.launch
