VantTec USV Main Repository

This is the main working repository for the USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) VantTec Platform.

Packages

• usv_comms: ROS package that allows the USV software to interface with the Digi XBee Hardware for communication with the ground control station.
• usv_control: ROS package for the implementation of the control algorithms for the USV.
• usv_master: ROS package containing the master node for the USV ROS software.
• usv_missions: ROS package where the algorithms to solve the different RoboBoat 2024 challenges are implemented.
• usv_perception: ROS package for the perception algorithms used in the USV.

Submodules

• sbg_driver: ROS package that allows the USV to interface with SBG's IMU.
• usv_libs: Control library.
• velodyne: ROS package for the Velodyne LIDAR.
• zed_ros_wrapper: ROS package for the Stereolabs ZED Camera.

How to start working?

Enter the following commands into your Ubuntu terminal:

# Clone repository and its submodules
cd
git clone --recurse-submodules http://github.com/vanttec/vanttec_usv.git

# Build docker container
cd ~/vanttec_usv
docker build -t vtec_rb25 .

# Run container
usv start 

NOTE: Add the scripts repository to the ${PATH} variable in ~/.bashrc

export PATH="$PATH":~/vanttec_usv/scripts

Requirements to build the workspace

# Go to repository root
cd {vanttec_usv path}

# Build usv_interfaces package
colcon build --packages-select usv_interfaces

# Set environment variables with install/setup.bash file
source install/setup.bash

# Create record about submodules in .git/config file in workspace root
git submodule init
git submodule update

# Change directory to usv_libs from usv_control package and create submodules
cd vanttec_usv/src/usv_control/libs/usv_libs
git submodule init
git submodule update

- Nvidia CUDA
- ZED SDK
- Gazebo Sim Garden
- TensorRT
  - https://docs.nvidia.com/deeplearning/tensorrt/quick-start-guide/index.html

- Other dependencies specified in errors while building

TODO: Modify and do documentation of: ROS2_XBEE_BRIDGE's changes. Also, add to repo as submodule

1. Change config file to:

• ['xbee0', '0013A20041CF8FE6', 'STATION_XBEE']
• ['xbee1', '0013A20041CF8F96', 'BOAT_XBEE']

2. Do launch files for

Network 1: (USV)

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=50; ros2 launch ros2_xbee_bridge xbee_bridge.launch.py dev:=/dev/ttyUSB0 namespace:=xbee0

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=50; ros2 topic pub /xbee1/msg1 std_msgs/msg/String "data: 'Hello from id 50 huhh'"

Network 2: (OGS)

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=51; ros2 launch ros2_xbee_bridge xbee_bridge.launch.py dev:=/dev/ttyUSB1 namespace:=xbee1

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=51; ros2 topic echo /intra_comms/xbee0/msg1 std_msgs/msg/String

NOTE: If found similar issue to "xmlrpc.client.Fault: <Fault 1: "<class 'RuntimeError'>:!rclpy.ok()">" while running topic echo: Just restart ros daemon

NOTE: Extra dependencies:

# To install dependencies automatically:
rosdep install --from-paths src -y --ignore-src

sudo apt-get install libpcap-dev libgeographic-dev ros-humble-perception-pcl ros-humble-pcl-msgs ros-humble-vision-opencv ros-humble-xacro ros-humble-tf-transformations

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:borglab/gtsam-release-4.1
sudo apt install libgtsam-dev libgtsam-unstable-dev

HOW TOs:

Run mission #2:

ros2 launch usv_control usv_control_sim_launch.py
ros2 launch usv_missions obstacle_launch.py
ros2 run usv_utils obstacle_viewer_node
ros2 run usv_control obstacle_avoidance_node
ros2 run usv_missions mission_handler_node 

Move the boat around:

ros2 launch usv_control usv_control_sim_launch.py
ros2 launch usv_control teleop_launch.py