Mobile Robot Control

Mobile platform communication interface in Python 3.9 through ROS

Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro ⁽¹⁾.
• Rhinoceros 3D 7.0
• Anaconda Python Distribution: 3.x
• Docker Community Edition: Download it for Windows. Leave "switch Linux containers to Windows containers" disabled.
• Git: official command-line client or visual GUI (e.g. Github Desktop or SourceTree)
• VS Code with the following Extensions:
  • Python (official extension)
  • EditorConfig for VS Code (optional)
  • Docker (official extension, optional)

^{(1): Windows 10 Home does not support running Docker.}

Dependencies

• compas 1.17.3 or higher
• compas_fab 0.27.0 or higher

Getting Started

1. Setting up the Anaconda environment with all dependencies

Execute the commands below in Anaconda Prompt:

Install Compas & Compas Fab

(base) conda config --add channels conda-forge
(base) conda create -n afab compas_fab --yes
(base) conda activate afab

Install on Rhino

(afab) python -m compas_rhino.install -v 7.0

Verify Installation

(afab) pip show compas_fab

Name: compas-fab
Version: 0.XX.X
Summary: Robotic fabrication package for the COMPAS Framework
....

2. Cloning and installing the repository

Clone the repository

• Create a workspace directory: C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\workspace
• Open Github Desktop and clone the repository this repository into you workspace folder.

Install the repository in editable mode

(afab) python -m pip install -e <your_path>/<your_repository_name>
(afab) python -m compas_rhino.install -p mobile_robot_control -v 7.0

Visualizing Robot Model

• Open the file rhino/01_mobile_robot_model.ghx.
• First, you need to load a specified robot model by pressing the load button (you can choose the model from a list of urdf files).
• Once, the model is loaded, you can add and remove a tool in the Tool cluster and manipulate the joints with the sliders in the Configuration cluster.

Below are the coordinate frame conventions for the mobile robot.

    WCF = world coordinate frame
    BCF = base coordinate frame in WCF
    RCF = ur robot arm coordinate frame in BCF
    
    RWCF = reference world coordinate frame
    RBCF = base coordinate frame in RWCF
    RRCF = ur robot arm coordinate frame in RBCF
    
    MCF = marker coordinate frame

Control

• tbd

Simulation Playground

• tbd

General Notes

Docker Setup Information

• Docker user name: augmentedfabricationlab
• The robotic_setups_description repository contains the robot descriptions files for the Dockerfile building.
• The robotic_setups repository contains the catkin workspace for the urdf models and moveit packages for various robotic setups of our lab, for setting up the systems in Linux as described in this tutorial.
• The ros-base and novnc images are remote images and drawn from the gramaziokohler docker hub organization.

Credits

This package was created by Gido Dielemans @gidodielemans at @augmentedfabricationlab