Navigation Controller

This ROS 2 package, navigation_controler, provides a simple TCP-based interface to send navigation goals to a ROS 2 action server. It includes both the ROS 2 action client (nav_ctrl.cpp) and a Python client script (client_nav.py) for sending navigation requests.

Features

• Accepts TCP connections to receive navigation goals in the format x,y,z.
• Sends goals to the ROS 2 Navigation stack using the nav2_msgs/action/NavigateToPose action.
• Supports feedback on the goal's status and completion.

---

Package Structure

navigation_controler/
├── client_nav.py        # Python client script for sending navigation requests
├── CMakeLists.txt       # CMake build configuration for the ROS 2 package
├── nav_ctrl.cpp         # ROS 2 action client with TCP server
├── package.xml          # ROS 2 package manifest
├── README.md            # Documentation for the package

---

Prerequisites

Install ROS 2

Ensure ROS 2 is installed on your system. Follow the instructions on the ROS 2 Installation Page.

Install Dependencies

Run the following commands to install the necessary dependencies:

1. Install ROS 2 dependencies:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-nav2-msgs ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-rclcpp ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-rclcpp-action

2. Install Boost libraries:

   sudo apt install -y libboost-all-dev

3. Install Python dependencies:

   pip install --upgrade pip
   pip install socket

   Note: Replace ${ROS_DISTRO} with your ROS 2 distribution (e.g., humble or foxy).

---

Building the Package

1. Clone the repository into your ROS 2 workspace:

   cd ~/ros2_ws/src
   git clone <repository_url> navigation_controler

2. Navigate to the workspace root and build:

   cd ~/ros2_ws
   colcon build --packages-select navigation_controler

3. Source the workspace:

   source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash

---

Running the ROS 2 Action Client (Server)

To start the ROS 2 action client with the embedded TCP server:

ros2 run navigation_controler nav_ctrl

You should see output indicating the TCP server is running, e.g.:

[INFO] [pose_action_client]: TCP Server started on IP: 0.0.0.0, Port: 12345

---

Sending Navigation Requests

Use the provided Python script to send navigation requests to the server:

1. Ensure the server is running.
2. Run the client script:

   python3 ~/ros2_ws_v2/src/navigation_controler/client_nav.py

This script sends a navigation goal in the format x,y,z to the TCP server.

Example output:

Send start
Received from server: Goal accepted

---

Example Use Case

Modify client_nav.py to customize the navigation goal:

send_navigation_request("127.0.0.1", 12345, 3.5, 2.0, 0.0)

Change the coordinates as needed and rerun the script to test different goals.

---

Troubleshooting

• TCP Server not accepting connections:

  • Verify the port is not in use by another application.
  • Ensure the firewall settings allow connections to the server.

• No feedback from the action server:

  • Ensure the Navigation 2 stack is running and configured correctly.
  • Check ROS 2 topics and services for errors.

---

License

This package is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. See LICENSE for details.