Source code for MARCEL

Source code for MARCEL (Mobile Active Rover Chassis for Enhanced Locomotion)

This repository contains a dependency on the repository for the compilation of the ROS node nav_node and on the repository for the compilation of the ROS node cmd_mt.
It will be automatically downloaded as well if you clone the present repository with git clone --recursive. However, if you have already cloned it without this option, you can resolve the dependency by running in the root directory MARCEL_src:
$ git submodule update --init

Build the ROS package on the rover:

Let's say your catkin workspace is ~/catkin_ws for example:
$ CATKIN_WS=~/catkin_ws

Put the rover_ctrl package among the catkin workspace sources:
$ ln -s $(readlink -f MARCEL_src/RaspberryPi/rover_ctrl) $CATKIN_WS/src

Downloads the sources for the force-torque sensor package:
$ cd ~/Downloads
$ git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/ros-industrial/robotiq.git
$ ln -s ~/Downloads/robotiq/robotiq_ft_sensor $CATKIN_WS/src

To autonomously start the low-level control node (nav_node) at boot:
$ sudo ln -s $(readlink -f MARCEL_src/RaspberryPi/nav_node.service) /etc/systemd/system
$ sudo systemctl enable nav_node.service

Install nodes for the operator's remote computer:

To operate the rover from a remote computer, you only need the nodes in python:
$ mkdir -p $CATKIN_WS/src/rover_ctrl
$ ln -s $(readlink -f MARCEL_src/RaspberryPi/rover_ctrl/scripts) $CATKIN_WS/src/rover_ctrl

Control the rover from a remote computer:

For a manual driving, start the ROS node keyboard_ctrl which publishes on nav_ctrl topic:
$ rosrun rover_ctrl keyboard_ctrl.py