minibot

My little Raspberry Pi and ROS robot "minibot" - with some Python stuff.

This code is currently tested and working with ROS Kinetic and Ubuntu Mate on the Raspberry Pi (or Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on a virtual machine like Parallels).

---

1. Setup

Adafruit Motor Hat

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Motor-HAT-Python-Library.git
cd Adafruit-Motor-HAT-Python-Library
sudo apt-get install python-dev
sudo python setup.py install

OLED LCD

SSD1306 with I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-pip
sudo pip install RPi.GPIO
sudo apt-get install python-imaging python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_SSD1306.git
cd Adafruit_Python_SSD1306
sudo python setup.py install

AD converter

ADS1015 via I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_ADS1x15.git
cd Adafruit_Python_ADS1x15
sudo python setup.py install

IMU

BNO055 via I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_BNO055.git
cd Adafruit_Python_BNO055
sudo python setup.py install

---

2. ROS Setup

• Install ROS on Raspberry Pi
• Install necessary ROS packages:

sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-urg-node ros-kinetic-teleop-twist-keyboard

• create a catkin workspace without 'src' folder:

mkdir catkin_ws
cd ~/catkin_ws

• create symbolic link with the name 'src', pointing to the 'src' folder in the ROS directory from this repository:

ln -s /home/$USERNAME/minibot/ROS/catkin_workspace/src/ src
catkin_make

Other helpful stuff

General joystick/gamepad support (OS and ROS)

sudo apt-get install joystick
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-joystick-drivers ros-kinetic-teleop-twist-joy

Microsoft XBOX Wireless Controller

Supported by the Kernel - if used with the USB connector.

---

3. Run ROS

The main launch file

On the robot (Raspberry Pi):

roslaunch minibot minibot.launch

On another computer (the ground control center):

export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://<hostname>:11311
rosparam set joy_node/dev "/dev/input/js1"
roslaunch minibot ground_control_center.launch

---

4. Setting up ROS for autostart

systemd under Ubuntu

sudo cp raspi/etc__systemd__system__minibot-ros-start.service /etc/systemd/system/minibot-ros-start.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start minibot-ros-start.service
sudo systemctl enable minibot-ros-start.service

---

The different launch files

B

battery

Observes the battery voltage. For demo/test purpose only. Uses:

• nodes/battery_publisher.py

C

camera

Streams the RasPi camera image. Can be viewed with the ROS image_view component. Uses:

• src/camera.cpp

G

ground_control

Controls and observes the robots status or sensors (remote). This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. Uses:

• rqt_plot
• joystick_control.launch
• image_view
• rviz

J

joystick_control (remote)

Listens to a joystick and controls the robot remotely. This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to that computer, not the robot. Uses:

• nodes/joy_motor_listener.py

K

keyboard_control

Listens to a keyboard and controls the robot directly (remote). This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to that computer, not the robot. Uses:

• nodes/motor_server.py
• teleop_twist_keyboard
• nodes/keyboard_motor_listener.py

keyboard_control_test

Listens to a teleop_twist_keyboard node and prints out the data/messages. Uses:

• teleop_twist_keyboard
• nodes/keyboard_listener.py

L

laser

Starts the urg_node for the laser range finder. This launch file is for convenience, to have only one ssh session open. For demo/test purpose only.

led_server

Turns LEDs on the robot ON or OFF. This is the node for the robot. For demo/test purpose only. Uses:

• srv/Led.srv

M

macbook_test

[ ] (details to be checked) Uses:

• minibot.urdf.xacro
• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py

mapping

[ ] (robot launch file, details to be defined/checked) Uses:

• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py
• urg_node

minibot

Controls the whole robot. To be started on the robot. Uses:

• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py
• minibot_camera
• urg_node

motor_server

Controls the motors on the robot. Uses:

• motor_server.py

T

teleop_joy (in robot)

Listens to a joystick and controls the robot directly. This part can to be started on the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to the robot. Uses:

• base_controller.py
• ROS joy_node
• ROS teleop_twist_joy# minibot My little Raspberry Pi and ROS robot "minibot" - with some Python stuff.

This code is currently tested and working with ROS Kinetic and Ubuntu Mate on the Raspberry Pi (or Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on a virtual machine like Parallels).

---

1. Setup

Adafruit Motor Hat

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Motor-HAT-Python-Library.git
cd Adafruit-Motor-HAT-Python-Library
sudo apt-get install python-dev
sudo python setup.py install

OLED LCD

SSD1306 with I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-pip
sudo pip install RPi.GPIO
sudo apt-get install python-imaging python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_SSD1306.git
cd Adafruit_Python_SSD1306
sudo python setup.py install

AD converter

ADS1015 via I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_ADS1x15.git
cd Adafruit_Python_ADS1x15
sudo python setup.py install

IMU

BNO055 via I^2^C

cd ~
sudo apt-get install build-essential python-dev python-smbus
git clone https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_BNO055.git
cd Adafruit_Python_BNO055
sudo python setup.py install

---

2. ROS Setup

• Install ROS on Raspberry Pi
• Install necessary ROS packages:

sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-urg-node ros-kinetic-teleop-twist-keyboard

• create a catkin workspace without 'src' folder:

mkdir catkin_ws
cd ~/catkin_ws

• create symbolic link with the name 'src', pointing to the 'src' folder in the ROS directory from this repository:

ln -s /home/$USERNAME/minibot/ROS/catkin_workspace/src/ src
catkin_make

Other helpful stuff

General joystick/gamepad support (OS and ROS)

sudo apt-get install joystick
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-joystick-drivers ros-kinetic-teleop-twist-joy

Microsoft XBOX Wireless Controller

Supported by the Kernel - if used with the USB connector.

---

3. Run ROS

The main launch file

On the robot (Raspberry Pi):

roslaunch minibot minibot.launch

On another computer (the ground control center):

export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://<hostname>:11311
rosparam set joy_node/dev "/dev/input/js1"
roslaunch minibot ground_control_center.launch

---

4. Setting up ROS for autostart

systemd under Ubuntu

sudo cp raspi/etc__systemd__system__minibot-ros-start.service /etc/systemd/system/minibot-ros-start.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start minibot-ros-start.service
sudo systemctl enable minibot-ros-start.service

---

The different launch files

B

battery

Observes the battery voltage. For demo/test purpose only. Uses:

• nodes/battery_publisher.py

C

camera

Streams the RasPi camera image. Can be viewed with the ROS image_view component. Uses:

• src/camera.cpp

G

ground_control

Controls and observes the robots status or sensors (remote). This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. Uses:

• rqt_plot
• joystick_control.launch
• image_view
• rviz

J

joystick_control (remote)

Listens to a joystick and controls the robot remotely. This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to that computer, not the robot. Uses:

• nodes/joy_motor_listener.py

K

keyboard_control

Listens to a keyboard and controls the robot directly (remote). This part has to be started on a different computer than the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to that computer, not the robot. Uses:

• nodes/motor_server.py
• teleop_twist_keyboard
• nodes/keyboard_motor_listener.py

keyboard_control_test

Listens to a teleop_twist_keyboard node and prints out the data/messages. Uses:

• teleop_twist_keyboard
• nodes/keyboard_listener.py

L

laser

Starts the urg_node for the laser range finder. This launch file is for convenience, to have only one ssh session open. For demo/test purpose only.

led_server

Turns LEDs on the robot ON or OFF. This is the node for the robot. For demo/test purpose only. Uses:

• srv/Led.srv

M

macbook_test

[ ] (details to be checked) Uses:

• minibot.urdf.xacro
• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py

mapping

[ ] (robot launch file, details to be defined/checked) Uses:

• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py
• urg_node

minibot

Controls the whole robot. To be started on the robot. Uses:

• tf_broadcaster.py
• battery_publisher.py
• imu_bno055.py
• motor_server.py
• base_controller.py
• minibot_camera
• urg_node

motor_server

Controls the motors on the robot. Uses:

• motor_server.py

T

teleop_joy (in robot)

Listens to a joystick and controls the robot directly. This part can to be started on the robot. The joystick/gamepad has to be connected to the robot. Uses:

• base_controller.py
• ROS joy_node
• ROS teleop_twist_joy