Beachbot

Overview

Beachbot is a robotics project for creating autonomous beach robots. The system integrates various hardware components including cameras, GNSS (GPS), IMU sensors, and motors to create a fully functional robot that can navigate and operate in beach environments.

Features

• Camera-based vision system
• GNSS/GPS positioning
• IMU-based orientation
• Motor control system
• Navigation and localization
• Remote control capabilities
• User interface

System Requirements

• Python 3.x (Anaconda distribution recommended)
• Hardware components:
  • Camera modules
  • GNSS/GPS receiver
  • IMU sensor
  • Motor controllers (ODrive compatible)
  • Jetson development board (for GPIO)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/beachbot.git
cd beachbot

2. Set up Python environment

The project uses Python and requires several dependencies. We recommend using a virtual environment:

# Create and activate virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install requirements
pip install -r env/python_requirements/requirements.txt

Usage

Beachbot can be run in two modes:

• UI mode: For monitoring and controlling via a user interface
• RC mode: For remote control operation

Running the application

python main.py ui  # For UI mode
python main.py rc  # For RC mode

The orchestrator will automatically launch the required nodes based on the selected profile.

Project Structure

• src/python/: Core Python modules
  • controls/: Motor and movement control modules
  • drivers/: Hardware driver interfaces
  • geometry/: Geometric calculations and transformations
  • ipc/: Inter-process communication
  • kinematics/: Robot kinematics
  • localization/: Position tracking and localization
  • mapping/: Environmental mapping
  • models/: Data models
  • node/: Individual system nodes (camera, GPS, IMU, etc.)
  • orchestration/: System orchestration and node management
  • planning/: Path planning and navigation
  • tools/: Utility tools and helpers

Development

Adding a new node

1. Create a new Python file in src/python/node/
2. Implement the node functionality
3. Add the node configuration to NodeConfig in src/python/orchestration/launch.py
4. Include the node in the appropriate profile in the _gen_profile function

License

See the LICENSE file for details.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Hardware connection problems: Ensure all devices are properly connected and powered
• Missing dependencies: Verify all required Python packages are installed
• Permission issues: Some hardware interfaces may require elevated permissions

For more help, please open an issue on the project repository.