User_Guide

Table of Contents

• Mission Execution
  • Setting up communication between multiple machines
  • Setting up the simulation computer
  • Setting up the vehicle autonomy computer
  • Setting up the mission command centre
    • Executing the mission
• Mission Command Centre Remote Communications
• Remote Control Usage
  • Command Overview
    • Movement Joysticks
    • Mode Switch: Switch B
    • Remote E-Stop: Switch A

Table of contents generated with markdown-toc

Mission Execution

These instructions describe how to set-up and run an autonomous waypoint mission using Propbot. If you are not executing the mission in simulation, skip the instructions for Setting up the simulation computer.

Setting up communication between multiple machines

In order to set up the mission command centre to communicate with the vehicle autonomy computer, perform the following steps:

1. Make sure both the mission command centre computer and vehicle autonomy computer are on the same network. Do a simple ping test to make sure they can communicate with each other.
2. On the vehicle autonomy computer, run: export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://vehicle_autonomy_computer:11311.
3. On the vehicle autonomy computer, run: roscore.
4. On the mission command centre computer, run: export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://vehicle_autonomy_computer:11311.

Make sure the export command is either in run in every terminal used.

Repeat steps all of the above steps to set up communication between the simulation computer and vehicle autonomy computer.

Setting up the simulation computer

On the simulation computer, build all of the packages inside the simulation directory.

catkin build  propbot_gazebo  propbot_rviz  propbot_simulation

The following commands will a launch simulation environment that is modeled off of this area on UBC campus.

If you would like use a static simulation environment launch the following file:

roslaunch propbot_simulation ubc_student_union_sim.launch

If you would like to use a dynamic simulation environment launch this file instead of the one above:

roslaunch propbot_simulation ubc_student_union_sim_people.launch

Setting up the vehicle autonomy computer

Build all of the packages inside the vehicle_autonomy and common directory:

catkin build propbot_autonomy  propbot_control  propbot_description  propbot_drivers  propbot_mission  propbot_navigation  propbot_slam  propbot_state_estimation propbot_common_msgs  propbot_util

Launch the autonomy stack:

roslaunch propbot_autonomy autonomy.launch

Setting up the mission command centre

Build all of the packages inside the mission_command_centre and common directory:

catkin build  mapviz_plugins  propbot_mission_gui propbot_common_msgs  propbot_util

Launch the mission command centre GUI:

roslaunch propbot_mission_gui mapviz.launch

The above shows the default GUI configuration. If you would like to display satellite map tiles follow the instructions from this repository

ROS Offline Google Maps for MapViz: https://github.com/danielsnider/MapViz-Tile-Map-Google-Maps-Satellite

Executing the mission

Configure and command a mission using the plan_mission section of the control panel:

1. Select mission waypoints by clicking on the map and clear them as you like by selecting Clear
2. Once you are satisfied with your mission configuration, upload the mission to propbot by selecting Upload Mission
3. Start the mission by selecting Start Mission
4. You may pause, resume, or end the mission at anytime by selecting Pause Mission, Resume Mission, and End Mission
5. Monitor the robots progress on the display

Note: You must wait until a mission is finished or end the mission before uploading a new one

Mission Command Centre Remote Communications

In order to set up the mission command centre to communicate with the vehicle autonomy computer, perform the following steps:

1. Make sure both the mission command centre computer and vehicle autonomy computer are on the same network. Do a simple ping test to make sure they can communicate with each other.
2. On the vehicle autonomy computer, run: export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://propbot@vehicle_autonomy_computer:11311.
3. On the vehicle autonomy computer, run: roscore.
4. On the mission command centre computer, run: export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://propbot@vehicle_autonomy_computer:11311.

Make sure the export command is either in run in every terminal used.

Remote Control Usage

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The FS-T6is a six-channel transmitter with two joysticks and four programmable switches. This provides a joystick foreach set of wheels and programmable switches for a remote kill switch and a autonomy to manual mode switch. The figure below demonstrates how the four functions mentioned above are distributed on the transmitter. The remote controller receiver is FS-R6B, which is a six-channel receiver.

Command Overview

Movement Joysticks

The right and left joysticks control the right and left longitudinal sets of robot wheels, respectively. The user can choose between linear and non-linear speed mapping within the firmware to achieve varying speed resolutions.

The maximum speed of a robot can also be clamped by altering the maximum duty threshold in the firmware.

Mode Switch: Switch B

When switch B is high, the mode is set to autonomy in which the autonomy computer can control the robot's movement. The low position indicates manual mode.The switch works asynchronously and so the mode can be switched at any time.

Remote E-Stop: Switch A

Switch A controls the remote e-stopping functionality. When switch A is in the high position, the vehicle interface will send 0 speed commands and inputs from the movement joysticks are blocked. Once de-asserted, the speed commands return to following the movement joysticks.