NeuronBot 2 in ROS1

NeuronBot2 is the newest version of NeuronBot made by Adlink, which fully supports ROS1 and ROS2.

Features

• Nice
• Good
• Awesome
• Wonderful
• Magnificent
• Impressive
• Intimidating
• Stunning
• Extraordinary
• Superb

This package includes the functions to bring up the robot, to make it SLAM, to navigation, and to simulate it with your own computer, testing the same functions mentioned before.

Now we support the following version, you can checkout to these branch.

• ROS 1 melodic
• ROS 2 dashing
• ROS 2 eloquent

ROS1

NeuronBot2 Setup

Git Clone & Dependencies Installation

1. Install ROS

2. Create workspace

   mkdir -p ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/src
   cd ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/src
   

3. Git clone this package with melodic-devel branches

   git clone https://github.com/Adlink-ROS/neuronbot2.git -b melodic-devel
   

4. Install dependencies

   cd ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/
   rosdep update
   rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y --rosdistro melodic
   

5. Initialze NeuronBot2 ttyUSB nodes neuronbot_init.sh is needed to be run only once for the first setup.

   cd ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/src/neuronbot2/neuronbot2_tools/neuronbot2_init/   
   sudo ./neuronbot2_init.sh
   

6. catkin_make

   cd ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/
   source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash
   catkin_make
   source devel/setup.bash
   

Simulation

Below document is the quick-start guide for simulation if you don't realy have a NeuronBot.

Summon the NeuronBot2 into Gazebo

1. Specify the model path for Gazebo

   source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash
   source ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/devel/setup.bash
   export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/src/neuronbot2/neuronbot2_gazebo/models
   

2. Launch Gazebo simulation.

   There are two worlds for users to explore.

   • Mememan world

   roslaunch neuronbot2_gazebo neuronbot2_world.launch world_model:=mememan_world.model
   

   

   • Phenix world

   roslaunch neuronbot2_gazebo neuronbot2_world.launch world_model:=phenix_world.model
   

   

3. Teleop it in the world

   Users are able to control the NeuronBot2 with the following rosnode. Run it with the other terminal.

   source /opt/ros/melodic/setup.bash
   rosrun teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard.py
   

   

SLAM the world

1. Launch SLAM as well as Rviz while the Gazebo simulation is running.

   roslaunch neuronbot2_slam gmapping.launch open_rviz:=true 
   

   

2. Teleop it to explore the world

   rosrun teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard.py
   

   

3. Explore the world with move_base while SLAM with gmapping

   roslaunch neuronbot2_nav navigation.launch
   

   

4. Save the map

   source ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/devel/setup.bash
   roscd neuronbot2_nav/maps/
   rosrun map_server map_saver -f <map_name>
   

   Then, you shall turn off Gmapping.

Navigate to the desired location

Once users obtain the map, the pgm file & yaml file, navigation is good to go.

1. Launch Navigation as well as Rviz while the Gazebo simulation is running.

   roscd neuronbot2_nav/maps/
   roslaunch neuronbot2_nav bringup.launch open_rviz:=true local_planner:=dwa map:=map_name.yaml
   

   open_rviz: whether open RViz or not [default: false]

   local_planner: can be either dwa or teb [default: dwa]

   map: sholud be assigned to the absolute path if you are not in neuronbot2_nav/maps/ [default: mememan.yaml]

   You can also change the default map file in neuronbot2_nav/launch/bringup.launch

   

2. Set Estimation

   Click "2D Pose Estimate", and set estimation to the approximate location of robot on the map.

   

3. Set Goal

   Click "2D Nav Goal", and set goal to any free space on the map.

   

Other tips

1. Speed up simulation

   rosrun dynamic_reconfigure dynparam set gazebo time_step 0.002  # default is 0.001
   

Troubleshooting

1. Why do I see "ERROR: cannot launch node of type [xxx] ..." ?

   ANS: You probably forgot to install dependent packages, please try below commands:

   cd ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/
   rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y --rosdistro $ROS_DISTRO
   

2. Why do I see "RLException: [xxx.launch] is neither a launch file in package [neuronbot2_xxx]" ?

   ANS: You probably forgot to source the environment of this workspace, please try below commands:

   source ~/neuronbot2_ros1_ws/devel/setup.bash