RoboBuggy2

A complete re-write of the old RoboBuggy.

---

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Quickstart
• Development

---

Installation (for Windows)

Install Softwares: WSL, Ubuntu, Foxglove

• Go to Microsoft Store to install "Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS".
• Go install Foxglove https://foxglove.dev/.

Docker

• You will need Docker installed.

Set up repo in WSL

• To set up ssh key, follow this link: Connecting to GitHub with SSH.
• Note: Ensure that the SSH keys are generated while in the WSL terminal
• In the website above, see these two pages: Generating a new SSH key and adding it to the ssh-agent and "Adding a new SSH key to your GitHub account".

Clone

• In your terminal type: $ git clone https://github.com/CMU-Robotics-Club/RoboBuggy2.git.
• The clone link above is find in github: code -> local -> Clone SSH.
• 

ROS

• Navigate to /rb_ws. This is the catkin workspace where we will be doing all our ROS stuff.

• To build the ROS workspace and source it, run:

    catkin_make
    source /rb_ws/devel/setup.bash  # sets variables so that our package is visible to ROS commands
  

• To learn ROS on your own, follow the guide on https://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Tutorials. Start from the first and install Ros using a Virtual Machine.

Installation (for MacOS - M2)

Install Softwares: Docker, Foxglove

• Go install Foxglove https://foxglove.dev/.
• You will need Docker installed.

Set up repository

• To set up ssh key, follow this link: Connecting to GitHub with SSH.
• Note: Ensure that the SSH keys are generated while in the WSL terminal
• In the website above, see these two pages: Generating a new SSH key and adding it to the ssh-agent and "Adding a new SSH key to your GitHub account".

Clone

• In your terminal type: $ git clone git@github.com:CMU-Robotics-Club/RoboBuggy.git.
• The clone link above is find in github: code -> local -> Clone SSH.
• 

ROS

• Navigate to /rb_ws. This is the catkin workspace where we will be doing all our ROS stuff.

• To build the ROS workspace and source it, run:

    catkin_make
    source /rb_ws/devel/setup.bash  # sets variables so that our package is visible to ROS commands
  

• To learn ROS on your own, follow the guide on https://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Tutorials. Start from the first and install Ros using a Virtual Machine.

---

Open Docker

• Use cd to change the working directory to be RoboBuggy2
• Then do ./setup_dev.sh in the main directory (RoboBuggy2) to launch the docker container. Utilize the --no-gpu, --force-gpu, and --run-testing flags as necessary.
• Then you can go in the docker container using the docker exec -it robobuggy2-main-1 bash.
• When you are done, type Ctrl+C and use $exit to exit.

2D Simulation

• Boot up the docker container
• Run roslaunch buggy sim_2d_single.launch to simulate 1 buggy
• See rb_ws/src/buggy/launch/sim_2d_single.launch to view all available launch options
• Run roslaunch buggy sim_2d_2buggies.launch to simulate 2 buggies

• See rb_ws/src/buggy/launch/sim_2d_2buggies.launch to view all available launch options
  • The buggy starting positions can be changed using the sc_start_pos and nand_start_pos arguments (can pass as a key to a dictionary of preset start positions in engine.py, a single float for starting distance along planned trajectory, or 3 comma-separated floats (utm east, utm north, and heading))
• To prevent topic name collision, a topic named t associated with buggy named x have format x/t. The names are SC and Nand in the 2 buggy simulator. In the one buggy simulator, the name can be defined as a launch arg.
• See Foxglove Visualization for visualizing the simulation. Beware that since topic names are user-defined, you will need to adjust the topic names in each panel.

Simulator notes

Feedback:

• Longitude + Latitude for Foxglove visualization on map: /state/pose_navsat (sensor_msgs/NavSatFix)
• UTM coordinates (assume we're in Zone 17T): /sim_2d/utm (geometry_msgs/Pose - position.x = Easting meters , position.y = Northing meters, position.z = heading in degrees from East axis + is CCW)
• INS Simulation: /nav/odom (nsg_msgs/Odometry) (Noise is implemented to vary ~1cm) Commands:
• Steering angle: /buggy/steering in degrees (std_msgs/Float64)
• Velocity: /buggy/velocity in m/s (std_msgs/Float64)

Foxglove Visualization

• Foxglove is used to visualize both the simulator and the actual buggy's movements.
• First, you need to import the layout definition into Foxglove. On the top bar, click Layout, then "Import from file".
• 
• Go to RoboBuggy2 and choose the file telematics layout
• To visualize the simulator, launch the simulator and then launch Foxglove and select "Open Connection" on startup.
• Use this address ws://localhost:8765 for Foxglove Websocket
• Open Foxglove, choose the third option "start link".
• 

X11 Setup

Instructions:

• Install the appropriate X11 server on your computer for your respective operating systems (Xming for Windows, XQuartz for Mac, etc.).
• Mac: In XQuartz settings, ensure that the "Allow connections from network clients" under "Security" is checked.
• Windows: Make sure that you're using WSL 2 Ubuntu and NOT command prompt.
• While in a bash shell with the X11 server running, run xhost +local:docker.
• Boot up the docker container using the "Alternate Shortcut" above.
• Run xeyes while INSIDE the Docker container to test X11 forwarding. If this works, we're good.

---

Connecting to and Launching the RoboBuggy

When launching the buggy:

• Connect to the Wi-Fi named ShortCircuit.
• In the command line window: SSH to the computer on ShortCircuit and go to folder $ ssh nuc@192.168.1.217 Then $ cd RoboBuggy2
• Setup the docker $ ./setup_prod.sh (Utilize the --no-gpu, --force-gpu, and --run-testing flags as necessary.)
• Go to docker container $ docker_exec
• Open foxglove and do local connection to “ws://192.168.1.217/8765”
• Roslauch in docker container by $ roslaunch buggy sc-main.launch (or $ roslaunch buggy nand-main.launch for NAND) (wait until no longer prints “waiting for covariance to be better”)

When shutting down the buggy:

• Stop roslauch $ ^C (Ctrl+C)
• Leave the docker container $ exit
• Shutdown the ShortCircuit computer $ sudo shutdown now