SIAR_SIMULATOR

Simulator for SIAR ROBOT in a sewer environment.

Description

This simulator represents the SIAR robotics platform which is made to navigate through the sewer environment. In the simulator, the model robot can change its width and move with differential configuration, obtain information from cameras and Velodyne Laser.

The simulator has two main packages: siar_gazebo and siar_plugins. The first contains the necessary to use the SIAR model in four different versions (v.1: 7 cameras, v.2: 3 cameras, v.3: without cameras, v.4: 6 cameras + velodyne) and also the sewer environment, modifiable from launch by adding or removing sewer sections. The second contains the plugins that allow us to move wheels,change width, and navigate using only cameras plugin_siar_wheel_piston.cpp or cameras+velodyne plugin_siar_velodyne.cpp.

This simulator was tested and developed in Gazebo 7, ROS Kinetic and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

Dependencies

This package has dependency on "ros-kinetic-velodyne-laserscan" and "ros-kinetic-joy". Can be resolved using:

sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-velodyne-laserscan
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-joy

To "teleoperate" the simulator it is necessary to incorporate the plugin siar_teleop_joy.cpp. This can be found in siar_driver package from the repository [https://github.com/robotics-upo/siar_packages.git].

To use the "semi autonomous and autonomous navigation mode" in the simulator is necessary to complement with siar_navegation package from the repository [https://github.com/robotics-upo/siar_navigation.git].

Usage

The simulator has three different modes to be used:

• Teleoperate
• Semi-autonomous
• Autonomous

Teleoperation mode

With your workspace ready, to start with the teleoperation mode, you should press the start button to have fun.

Semi-autonomous and Autonomous mode

To use "semi-autonomous" or "autonomous" mode is necessary to follow the next steps:

1. Execute:

roslaunch siar_gazebo siar_simulator_(your_favorite_scenario).launch

IMPORTANT: the launch in siar_simulator starts in pause to avoid conflict in the spawn of the models Gazebo. The siar_costmap module will generate some errors that will no longer thrown just by pushing play in the Gazebo simulator.

2. Execute:

roslaunch siar_planner planner_action_server_simulation.launch

To use different planners change the parameter planner_type. The semi-autonomous mode corresponds to operation_mode = 1, you can change with button "Y" of Xbox Joystick or publishing the value 1 in the topic /operation_mode .

3. To use "autonomous" mode, you should publish in topic /operation_mode the value 100.

4. Launch RVIZ and enjoy!! you just should give a goal in RVIZ inside the sewer environment.