Mobile Robot Control

Mobile platform communication interface in Python 3.9 through ROS

Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro ⁽¹⁾.
• Rhinoceros 3D 8.0
• Anaconda Python Distribution: 3.x
• Docker Community Edition: Download it for Windows. Leave "switch Linux containers to Windows containers" disabled.
• Git: official command-line client or visual GUI (e.g. Github Desktop or SourceTree)
• VS Code with the following Extensions:
  • Python (official extension)
  • EditorConfig for VS Code (optional)
  • Docker (official extension, optional)

^{(1): Windows 10 Home does not support running Docker.}

Dependencies

• compas 2.2.0
• compas_fab 1.0.2 or higher

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies on Rhino with Rhinocode

After installing Rhino 8, open Rhino and run ScriptEditor on the Rhino command line to initialize Python.

Execute the commands below in Anaconda Prompt:

C:\Users\your_user_name\.rhinocode\py39-rh8\python.exe -m pip install compas==2.2.0 compas_robots==0.4.0 roslibpy pyserial
C:\Users\your_user_name\.rhinocode\py39-rh8\python.exe -m pip install --no-deps compas_fab

If you have an older version, you have to force install a new version:

C:\Users\your_user_name\.rhinocode\py39-rh8\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade compas==2.2.0 compas_robots==0.4.0 roslibpy pyserial
C:\Users\your_user_name\.rhinocode\py39-rh8\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade --no-deps compas_fab

2. Cloning the repositories

Clone the repository

Create a workspace directory: C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\workspace

Open Github Desktop and clone the repositories:

• mobile_robot_control into you workspace folder.
• ur_fabrication_control into you workspace folder.
• fabrication_manager into you workspace folder.

SWITCH TO compas2 BRANCH IN MOBILE_ROBOT_CONTROL AND UR_FABRICATION_CONTROL!!!!

3. Install the repositories in editable mode

Open Rhino, Grasshopper and a Python3 block. Go to Tools/Options and below add the following paths:

• C:\Users\your_user_name\workspace\mobile_robot_control\src
• C:\Users\your_user_name\workspace\ur_fabrication_control\src
• C:\Users\your_user_name\workspace\fabrication_manager\src

4. Run docker

Open up the Docker desktop.

Open up VScode, and install the docker extension.

On VScode, find the file: \mobile_robot_control\docker\ros-systems\rbvogui-xl-ur20-noetic\docker-compose.yml, right click and click "compose up". Wait for the images to be copied and started.

5. Playgrounds

Go to C:\Users\your_user_name\workspace\mobile_robot_control\rhino and use the playgrounds that start with r8...

Robot Model and Robot Frames

• Open the file rhino/01_mobile_robot_model.ghx.
• First, you need to load a specified robot model by pressing the load button (you can choose the model from a list of urdf files).
• Once, the model is loaded, you can add and remove a tool in the Tool cluster and manipulate the joints with the sliders in the Configuration cluster.

Below are the coordinate frame conventions for the mobile robot.

    WCF = world coordinate frame
    BCF = base coordinate frame in WCF
    RCF = ur robot arm coordinate frame in BCF
    
    RWCF = reference world coordinate frame
    RBCF = base coordinate frame in RWCF
    RRCF = ur robot arm coordinate frame in RBCF
    
    MCF = marker coordinate frame

Control

• tbd

Simulation Playground

• tbd

General Notes

Docker Setup Information

• Docker user name: augmentedfabricationlab
• The robotic_setups_description repository contains the robot descriptions files for the Dockerfile building.
• The robotic_setups repository contains the catkin workspace for the urdf models and moveit packages for various robotic setups of our lab, for setting up the systems in Linux as described in this tutorial.
• The ros-base and novnc images are remote images and drawn from the gramaziokohler docker hub organization.

Credits

This package was created by Gido Dielemans @gidodielemans at @augmentedfabricationlab