ACROBAT

Fast autonomous flight

Hardware

• Nvidia Jetson TX2
• Auvidea J120 Carrier Board
  • mpu9250 IMU
• Arducam AR0135 Mono Camera + USB3.0 shield
• Betaflight flight controller (or any other MSP capable flight controller)
  • CLRacingF4
  • Flashed with custom betaflight firmware which enables MSP on UART4: acrobat_mod branch
• Other drone components
  • Frame - Lumenier QAV-R 2
  • Motors - Armattan Oomph Titan 2306/2450kv

Installation

Requirements

• Ubuntu 18.04
• CMake 3.15+

Install Docker

The acrobat software runs in a docker container on the vehicle instead of running natively on the Jetson. To build docker containers you need to install Docker. Installation Guide.

Install ROS1 Melodic and Simulator

For the simulation we need Melodic. ROS1 Melodic installtion page. Install ros-melodic-desktop-full.

Setup Catkin workspace and install the FlightGoggles simulator (modified instructions from here):

# Setup catkin workspace
mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws/src
cd ~/catkin_ws/
catkin init
cd src
wstool init
# Install FlightGoggles nodes and deps from rosinstall file
wstool merge https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mit-fast/FlightGoggles/master/flightgoggles.rosinstall
wstool update
cd ../
# Install required libraries.
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src --rosdistro melodic -y
# Install external libraries for flightgoggles_ros_bridge
sudo apt install -y libzmqpp-dev libeigen3-dev
# Install dependencies for flightgoggles renderer
sudo apt install -y libvulkan1 vulkan-utils gdb
# Build nodes and download FlightGoggles renderer binary
catkin build 
# NOTE: to avoid downloading the FlightGoggles renderer binary, use the following build command:
# catkin build --cmake-args -DFLIGHTGOGGLES_DOWNLOAD_BINARY=OFF
source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash

To run the simulator (from here):

# To run example environment with joystick/keyboard teleoperation
roslaunch flightgoggles teleopExample.launch
# To run core simulation framework without teleoperation
roslaunch flightgoggles core.launch

Instal ROS2 Eloquent and Acrobat

Acrobat runs on ROS2 Eloquent installtion page. Install ros-eloquent-desktop.

DO THIS IN ANOTHER TERMINAL. Setup ROS2 workspace and build code:

source /opt/ros/eloquent/setup.bash

# Create ROS2 workspace
mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
cd ros2_ws
colcon build --symlink-install

# Use ros2_ws as working dir
source install/setup.bash
cd src
git clone https://github.com/martindeegan/acrobat.git
git clone --branch acrobat_mod https://github.com/martindeegan/msp.git
git clone --branch acrobat_mod https://github.com/martindeegan/serial-ros2.git

# Install required libraries.
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src --rosdistro eloquent -y

# Build ros2 packages
cd ~/ros2_ws
colcon build --symlink-install