System Structure

System Structure

Part	What runs there
Husky A200 onboard PC	Clearpath robot stack (motor drivers, cmd_vel controller) and ROS 2 Jazzy, used from a Python venv. Basic functionality tests were run here.

See ROS 2 Jazzy on the Onboard PC and Connecting to Balto.

Drive type: differential

Husky is a differential-drive robot (skid-steer, four wheels): the left and right wheel sides are driven independently, and there is no steering mechanism.

• Forward/back: both sides turn at the same speed.
• Turning: the two sides turn at different speeds. If they turn in opposite directions, the robot spins in place around its own center (zero turning radius), so it is centered on itself rather than swinging around a point outside its body like a car.
• Commands: only two inputs matter on cmd_vel — linear.x (forward speed) and angular.z (rotation speed). The robot cannot move sideways (linear.y is ignored).
• Practical note: because the wheels skid when turning, tight turns and in-place spins scrape the wheels on the ground, so odometry drifts more during rotation. Leave clearance around the robot when spinning, since its corners sweep a circle around the center.

(to do) — add a photo of balto and any sensors/accessories mounted on it.