ARAP Robot

Overview

ARAP Robot is a ROS 2-based mobile robot project that combines navigation, localization, and simulation capabilities. This repository contains all the necessary packages to run and control the ARAP robot in both simulation and real-world environments.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 24.04
• ROS 2 Jazzy
• Gazebo Harmonic
• Git

Dependencies

The following ROS 2 packages are required:

sudo apt install ros-jazzy-navigation2 ros-jazzy-nav2-bringup
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-gazebo-ros-pkgs
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-robot-localization
sudo apt install ros-jazzy-urdf-tutorial

Installation

1. Install ROS 2 Jazzy Follow the official ROS 2 Jazzy installation guide for Ubuntu 24.04:

   # Add ROS 2 apt repository
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install software-properties-common
   sudo add-apt-repository universe
   sudo apt update && sudo apt install curl
   sudo curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ros/rosdistro/master/ros.key -o /usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg
   echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/ros-archive-keyring.gpg] http://packages.ros.org/ros2/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo $UBUNTU_CODENAME) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros2.list > /dev/null
   
   # Install ROS 2 Jazzy
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install ros-jazzy-desktop

2. Install Gazebo Harmonic

   sudo apt install gazebo-harmonic

3. Clone the Repository

   mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
   cd ~/ros2_ws/src
   git clone https://github.com/akooku/arap_robot.git

4. Build the Workspace

   cd ~/ros2_ws
   colcon build

Setup

1. Source the Setup Files Add the following lines to your ~/.bashrc file:

   # ROS 2 setup
   source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
   source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash

2. Add Convenience Aliases Add these aliases to your ~/.bashrc file for easier operation:

   # Build workspace
   alias build='cd ~/ros2_ws/ && colcon build && source ~/.bashrc && source install/setup.bash'
   
   # Launch robot visualization
   alias arap='ros2 launch urdf_tutorial display.launch.py model:=$(pwd)/src/arap_robot/arap_robot_description/urdf/robots/arap_robot.urdf.xacro'
   
   # Launch Gazebo simulation
   alias arap_robot='bash ~/ros2_ws/src/arap_robot/arap_robot_bringup/scripts/arap_robot_gazebo.sh'
   
   # Launch navigation
   alias nav='bash ~/ros2_ws/src/arap_robot/arap_robot_bringup/scripts/arap_navigation.sh'

   After adding these lines, source your bashrc:

   source ~/.bashrc

Usage

1. Build the Project

   build

2. Launch the Robot in Gazebo

   arap_robot

   This will launch the robot in a simulated environment with all necessary components.

3. Launch Navigation

   nav

   This will start the navigation stack, including:

   • SLAM for mapping (nav slam)
   • Navigation2 for path planning
   • Localization using AMCL

4. View Robot Model

   arap

   This will open RViz with the robot model for visualization.

Project Structure

• arap_robot_bringup: Launch files and scripts for starting the robot
• arap_robot_description: URDF and mesh files for the robot model
• arap_robot_gazebo: Gazebo simulation configurations
• arap_robot_navigation: Navigation stack configurations
• arap_robot_localization: Localization packages
• arap_robot_system_tests: System test packages

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Build Errors

   • Ensure all dependencies are installed
   • Try cleaning the build: cd ~/ros2_ws && rm -rf build/ install/ log/
   • Rebuild: colcon build

2. Launch Failures

   • Check if ROS 2 environment is sourced: printenv | grep -i ROS
   • Verify workspace is built and sourced
   • Check launch file permissions: chmod +x ~/ros2_ws/src/arap_robot/arap_robot_bringup/scripts/*.sh

3. Navigation Issues

   • Ensure map is properly loaded
   • Check if robot's initial pose is set correctly
   • Verify sensor data is being published

Getting Help

If you encounter any issues:

1. Check the ROS 2 documentation
2. Search existing GitHub issues
3. Create a new issue with detailed information about your problem

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. Before contributing:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contact

• GitHub: @akooku
• Email: akooku12