RoPod/Tutorials/GAZEBO installation and interface with ROS: Difference between revisions

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= Install Gazebo=
GAZEBO is a set of ROS packages that provide the necessary interfaces to simulate a robot in the Gazebo 3D rigid body simulator for robots. It integrates with ROS using ROS messages, services and dynamic reconfigure.  
GAZEBO is a set of ROS packages that provide the necessary interfaces to simulate a robot in the Gazebo 3D rigid body simulator for robots. It integrates with ROS using ROS messages, services and dynamic reconfigure.  


Make sure you do not get errors in any of the steps. Otherwise ask for help to your coaches.
Make sure you do not get errors in any of the steps. Otherwise ask for help to your coaches.


Install gazebo version 7.x using the '''step-by-step''' installation, only those versions are compatible with ROS kinetic: http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?cat=install&tut=install_ubuntu&ver=7.0
Install gazebo version 11.x using the '''step-by-step''' installation, those versions are compatible with ROS noetic: http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?cat=install&tut=install_ubuntu&ver=7.0


Install gazebo_ros_pkgs and some extra packages needed to run the basis ropod model
Only if you had problems with the command


<pre>sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-gazebo-ros-pkgs ros-kinetic-gazebo-dev ros-kinetic-gazebo-plugins ros-kinetic-gazebo-ros libgazebo7-dev libgazebo7 libignition-math2 libsdformat4
<pre>sudo apt-get install gazebo11</pre>
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-gazebo-ros-control
sudo apt install ros-kinetic-joint-state-controller
sudo apt install ros-kinetic-effort-controllers
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-openni2-camera ros-kinetic-openni2-launch</pre>


Get familiar with ROS and with the catkin_make way of working: http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Tutorials/InstallingandConfiguringROSEnvironment
Try to use the command aptitude instead of apt-get. Install it first:


Now we will install existing ROS and gazebo files that will allow to perform simulations of the ropod
<pre>sudo apt-get install aptitude</pre>


Ensure you configured GitHub and you have downloaded the repository:[[ RoPod/Tutorials/Configuring GitHub | See tutorial]]
Then try gazebo installation


Now you are ready to start the ropod_gazebo model plus the ROS packages to interact with it.
<pre>sudo aptitude install gazebo11</pre>


The first time you install the files in your computer be sure that the folders ‘build’ and ‘devel’ are removed, as well as the file src/Cmakelists.txt
Install gazebo_ros_pkgs and some extra packages needed to run the basis ropod model
 
Then, on the main directory level, run a  cmake command to generate the executable files
<pre>catkin_make</pre>
 
You can run the alias
<pre> clean_build</pre>
to do all these actions at once. If you just downloaded the repository, ensure you do this from a new terminal! You can safe time the next time you do this by running the command
<pre>buildit</pre>
In this case, the folders /build, /devel and the /src/CMakeLists.txt-file are not removed.
 
Then, we can launch the ropod gazebo model, which is already connected with ROS
 
<pre>pstart </pre>


pstart is an alias which is used to get the communication with all the sensors up-and-running. As we have no robot on the dev-pc, gazebo is used for this purpose.  At the same time, r-viz starts up in order to visualize all the data.
<pre>
 
sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-gazebo-ros-pkgs ros-noetic-gazebo-dev ros-noetic-gazebo-plugins
Get familiar with the data being published, the nodes, etc. See ROS tutorials
sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-gazebo-ros ros-noetic-gazebo-ros-control
</pre>


= Faster startup of Gazebo=  
= Faster startup of Gazebo=  
Line 55: Line 43:
'''Be careful with this: models from standard tools, such as depth-camera's, can be found in this library. By replacing this line, you can not add them by default any more, but you should download these files yourself and add them to your local library.'''
'''Be careful with this: models from standard tools, such as depth-camera's, can be found in this library. By replacing this line, you can not add them by default any more, but you should download these files yourself and add them to your local library.'''


= Test that gazebo is launched from ROS =
We assume that you already followed all steps in [[ RoPod/Tutorials/ROS installation ]]
Then, we can launch the ropod gazebo model together with the ROPOD basis software using the alias
<pre>r2start gui:=true</pre>
rstart is an alias which is used to get the communication with all the sensors up-and-running. As we have no robot on the dev-pc, gazebo is used for this purpose.  At the same time, r-viz starts up in order to visualize all the data.
Get familiar with the data being published, the nodes, etc. See ROS tutorials.


=Matlab and GAZEBO interface via ROS=
At this point you can also test the ROPOD software by following the steps in [[ RoPod/Tutorials/Simulation ]].
Open the file ropod_controller.slx. Before executing the simulink model, launch the ropod_gazebo model.


Now you are ready to start simulating your own controller.
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Latest revision as of 17:58, 11 March 2021

Install Gazebo

GAZEBO is a set of ROS packages that provide the necessary interfaces to simulate a robot in the Gazebo 3D rigid body simulator for robots. It integrates with ROS using ROS messages, services and dynamic reconfigure.

Make sure you do not get errors in any of the steps. Otherwise ask for help to your coaches.

Install gazebo version 11.x using the step-by-step installation, those versions are compatible with ROS noetic: http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?cat=install&tut=install_ubuntu&ver=7.0

Only if you had problems with the command

sudo apt-get install gazebo11

Try to use the command aptitude instead of apt-get. Install it first:

sudo apt-get install aptitude

Then try gazebo installation

sudo aptitude install gazebo11

Install gazebo_ros_pkgs and some extra packages needed to run the basis ropod model

sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-gazebo-ros-pkgs ros-noetic-gazebo-dev ros-noetic-gazebo-plugins 
sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-gazebo-ros ros-noetic-gazebo-ros-control

Faster startup of Gazebo

As you might notice, it can take quite a while before gazebo is loaded. This is caused by loading several models from the gazebo-repository. You can prevent this as follows:

  • Go to the directory where gazebo is installed
cd /usr/share/gazebo-<your gazebo version> 
  • Open setup.sh in an editor as a super user
vim setup.sh
  • replace the line

"export GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI="http://gazebosim.org/models" to export GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI=""

Now, Gazebo should be loaded much faster by loading it from a new terminal.

Be careful with this: models from standard tools, such as depth-camera's, can be found in this library. By replacing this line, you can not add them by default any more, but you should download these files yourself and add them to your local library.

Test that gazebo is launched from ROS

We assume that you already followed all steps in RoPod/Tutorials/ROS installation

Then, we can launch the ropod gazebo model together with the ROPOD basis software using the alias

r2start gui:=true

rstart is an alias which is used to get the communication with all the sensors up-and-running. As we have no robot on the dev-pc, gazebo is used for this purpose. At the same time, r-viz starts up in order to visualize all the data.

Get familiar with the data being published, the nodes, etc. See ROS tutorials.

At this point you can also test the ROPOD software by following the steps in RoPod/Tutorials/Simulation .