Versatile Robot Configurations

[osrf-migration]

Original report (archived issue) by Martin Dlouhy (Bitbucket: robotikacz).

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Today is the deadline for the user model submission via pull-request for Urban Circuit, so this post is rather proposal for the next challenge.

The process adding new configuration is rather complex - here I would like to thank Arthur Schang (Arthur Schang) for his help with our ("robotika") pull request (it is not over yet). Actually all we wanted to do is to replace original HD camera in X2 config 4 (with lidar 30m) by RGBD in order to see small obstacles in front of the robot and distinguish ramps from obstacles. The PR is mainly copy & paste of parts we do not really understand (unfortunately there was no working example to start with, but this will surely change for Cave Circuit). Also we should not really get the attribution (#284), unless you count this process 😉. Note, we gave up to repeat this process for X1 which could be more suitable for the subway environment (rails).

So that was the motivation - question is if this can be simplified? In particular if you are building configuration only from existing
components (robot and sensors) and you only "mount" them together. The complex process can be reserved for new/non-existing robots and sensors. The configuration would be then like "shopping list" where you could choose from sensors and only specify placement. There could be even just few "mounting positions" like front, left, rear ... or just (x y z yaw pitch roll). There is no need to copy materials, worlds, models etc. This list would be input for “generator” which could create the complex configuration if that is the only way - or it could create it “on demand” during start of the simulation. Is this feasible?

[osrf-migration]

Original comment by Neil Johnson (Bitbucket: realdealneil1980).

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Martin, you took the words right out of my mouth. I agree with what you mentioned. It would certainly be nice if we could develop vehicles similar to X1-X4 with relatively minor changes to sensors without having to build out a whole new package for the vehicle. So, if we wanted to use the X2 config 2 but with a nicer IMU, we could just choose that and accept whatever cost penalty was associated with that decision. So, I second this proposal.

[osrf-migration]

Original comment by Angela Maio (Bitbucket: Angela Maio).

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Since this proposal is related to competition design, please post on the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Community Forum.

[osrf-migration]

Original comment by Angela Maio (Bitbucket: Angela Maio).

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• changed state from "new" to "on hold"

[nkoenig]

Please use the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Community Forum.