ALPHA RISE AUV.

Introduction

This is the configuration for our ALPHA RISE AUV.

• ROS version Noetic,
• Ubuntu 20.04

Directory structure

• alpha_rise_auv: Meta package for the standard ALPHA AUV.

• alpha_rise_bringup: Launch files to bring the vehicle/simulation up runnning

• alpha_rise_config: Configuration files for helm, controller, and devices. mvp_mission state machine is configured in /mission/config/helm.yaml. Parameters for different behaviors program for the helm is located in /mission/param. mvp_control configuration is under /config/control.yaml.

• alpha_rise_description: URDF files, rviz configuration, and vehicle mesh

Installation

Install the Stonefish simulator

• We use Stonefish Simulator. You can clone it from here, a fork from the original_repo.

• Download the stonefish simulator to another location outside your ROS workspace

git clone https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/stonefish

• Install dependencies using sudo apt install (instruction from the Stonefish)

  • OpenGL Mathematics library (libglm-dev, version >= 0.9.9.0)
  • SDL2 library (libsdl2-dev, may need the following fix!)
    1. Install SDL2 library from the repository.
    2. cd /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/SDL2/
    3. sudo vim sdl2-config.cmake
    4. Remove space after "-lSDL2".
    5. Save file.
  • Freetype library (libfreetype6-dev)

• Build and install the stonefish

  cd stonefish
  mkdir build
  cd build
  cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
  make -j$(nproc)
  sudo make install

Setup ALPHA RISE Repo

• Clone alpha_rise_auv repo

  git clone https://github.com/GSO-soslab/alpha_rise_auv
  cd alpha_rise_auv
  git submodule update --init --recursive

• You can run the similar commands for other AUVs.
• Install pip and setup python3 as default

  sudo apt install python3-pip

Install ROS-MVP

Currently MVP packages should be build from the source. Target platform must be Ubuntu 20.04 because of the dependencies.

Pull repository and other dependencies

git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/mvp_msgs
git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/mvp_control
git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/mvp_mission
git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/mvp_utilities.git
git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/stonefish_mvp
git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/world_of_stonefish.git

stonefish_mvp is a wrapper modified from stonefish_ros for ROS interface with ROS-MVP.

Hardware drivers (Not needed for simulation)

• Clone [mvp_core] repo which include other hardware related source code, sensor drivers, and other utilities.

  git clone --single-branch --branch noetic-devel https://github.com/uri-ocean-robotics/mvp_hardware_drivers.git

• Install Dependencies

rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src --rosdistro ${ROS_DISTRO} -y

Install dependencies for mvp_core

cd mvp_core
git submodule update --init --recursive

• Install a specific submodule

git submodule update <specific path to submodule>

Compile the code

go back to the ROS Workspace dir (e.g., catkin_ws), then do

catkin_make

Quick test

• Bring up the ALPHA Standard AUV with the Stonefish simualtor.

roslaunch alpha_rise_bringup bringup_simulation.launch

• Enable the controller in a separated terminal

rosservice call /alpha_rise/controller/enable

• Start a path following mission in local frame where your waypoint is defined in alpha_std_config/mission/param/path_local.yaml

rosservice call /alpha_rise/helm/change_state "state: 'survey_3d'"

• You can put AUV in idle anytime by changing the state of the helm

rosservice call /alpha_rise/helm/change_state "state: 'start'"

• Note: Make sure you selected the correct topics for the Markers in the RViz window.

Citation

The ALPHA paper:

@inproceedings{
    ALPHA_PAPER,
    title = {Acrobatic Low-cost Portable Hybrid AUV (ALPHA): System Design and Preliminary Results},
    author={Zhou, Mingxi and Gezer, Emir Cem and McConnell, William and Yuan, Chengzhi},
    booktitle={OCEANS 2022: Hampton Roads},
    year={2022},
    organization={IEEE}
}

The MVP paper:

@inproceedings{
    ALPHA_PAPER,
    title = {Working toward the development of a generic marine vehicle framework: ROS-MVP},
    author={Gezer, Emir Cem and Zhou, Mingxi and Zhao, LIN and McConnell, William},
    booktitle={OCEANS 2022: Hampton Roads},
    year={2022},
    organization={IEEE}
}

Funding

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation award #2154901 and award #2221676