ROS2 package for RAIL Group's LoCoBot

ROS 2 Humble package for the RAIL Group's LoCoBot. This project provides a complete software stack for a mobile robot based on the Kobuki base, equipped with an Intel RealSense camera, RPLidar, and a custom pan-and-tilt camera tower.

System Requirements

• OS: Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish)
• ROS 2: Humble Hawksbill
• Hardware (Optional for simulation):
  • Kobuki Base
  • RPLidar A1/A2
  • Intel RealSense D435/D455

Installation

1. Clone the repository with submodules:

   git clone --recursive https://github.com/RAIL-group/rail_robot.git
   cd rail_robot

2. Run the installation script: This script installs ROS 2 dependencies, initializes rosdep, sets up udev rules, and builds the workspace.

   chmod +x install.sh
   ./install.sh

3. Source the workspace: The installation script adds the necessary source commands to your ~/.bashrc. Simply restart your terminal or run:

   source ~/.bashrc

Quick Start

The most convenient way to launch the robot is using the rail_robot_core.launch.py file, which can handle simulation, hardware, SLAM, and Navigation.

1. Launch on Physical Hardware

ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_core.launch.py

2. Launch in Simulation (Gazebo)

ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_core.launch.py hardware_type:=gz_classic

Detailed Usage

Rviz Visualization

To visualize the robot and its sensor data in Rviz:

ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_rviz.launch.py

Hardware Bringup

To launch the physical robot drivers (Kobuki, Lidar, Camera):

ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_hardware.launch.py

Arguments:

• use_camera: Whether to launch the RealSense camera (default: true).

Simulation (Gazebo)

To launch only the simulation environment:

ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_simulation.launch.py

Arguments:

• world_filepath: Path to the Gazebo world file (default: floor.world).
• robot_name: Namespace for the robot (default: robot).

SLAM and Navigation

• SLAM (Mapping):

  ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_slam.launch.py

• Navigation:

  ros2 launch rail_robot rail_robot_navigation.launch.py

Package Overview

• rail_robot: Main integration package containing URDF models, launch files, and configurations.
• rail_msgs: Custom message and service definitions (e.g., SaveLocation, GoToLocation).
• pano_camera: Package for panoramic camera processing and imaging.
• planner: High-level planning utilities and scripts.
• kobuki: (Submodule) Drivers and nodes for the Kobuki base.
• realsense-ros: (Submodule) ROS 2 wrapper for Intel RealSense cameras.
• sllidar_ros2: (Submodule) ROS 2 driver for RPLidar.