Ardupilot Setup
SITL + ArduPilot + Gazebo + ROS Camera Plugin (Software In Loop Simulation Interfaces, Models)
Requirements :
Ubuntu (20.04 LTS) Full 3D graphics hight recommended.
Gazebo version 11
ROS Noetic (Required to work with Gazebo)
MAVROS
Dependencies for building packages
sudo apt install python3-rosinstall python3-rosinstall-generator python3-wstool build-essential
MAVROS installation :
MAVLink extendable communication node for ROS with proxy for Ground Control Station (See original instructions here).
Configure your Ubuntu repositories
sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-mavros ros-noetic-mavros-extras
cd ~/
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mavlink/mavros/master/mavros/scripts/install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
sudo chmod a+x install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
sudo ./install_geographiclib_datasets.sh
For ease of use on a desktop computer, please also install RQT
sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-rqt ros-noetic-rqt-common-plugins ros-noetic-rqt-robot-plugins
Install catkin tools
sudo apt-get install python3-catkin-tools
Now that we have everything correctly installed we can begin our system configuration
Environment setup and configuration :
STEP 1 - SITL Ardupilot
STEP 2 - Ardupilot gazebo plugin (Original khancyr version)
STEP 3 - Gazebo ROS plugin (roscam)
STEP 4 - Connect ArduPilot to ROS
SETP 1 - SITL Ardupilot installation :
Instructions taken from ardupilot.org (See original instructions here).
Clone ArduPilot repository
cd ~/
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/ArduPilot/ardupilot.git
Install some required packages
If you are on a debian based system (such as Ubuntu or Mint), we provide a script that will do it for you. From ardupilot directory :
Tools/environment_install/install-prereqs-ubuntu.sh -y
Reload the path (log-out and log-in to make permanent):
. ~/.profile
Finalize and test the installation
To start the simulator first change directory to the vehicle directory. For example, for the multicopter code change to ardupilot/ArduCopter:
cd ~/ardupilot/ArduCopter
Then start the simulator using sim_vehicle.py. The first time you run it you should use the -w option to wipe the virtual EEPROM and load the right default parameters for your vehicle.
sim_vehicle.py --console --map
Updating MAVProxy and pymavlink
New versions of MAVProxy and pymavlink are released quite regularly. If you are a regular SITL user you should update every now and again using this command
sudo pip install --upgrade pymavlink MAVProxy
This concludes the first step SITL Ardupilot installation.
SETP 2 - Ardupilot gazebo plugin installation :
(See original instructions here).
Clone ArduPilot repository
cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/AerialRobotics-IITK/ardupilot_gazebo
cd ardupilot_gazebo
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
# use make without any parameter if running in a VM
make -j4
sudo make install
Set environment variables
echo 'source /usr/share/gazebo/setup.sh' >> ~/.bashrc
Set Path of Gazebo Models (Adapt the path to where to clone the repo)
echo 'export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo/models' >> ~/.bashrc
Set Path of Gazebo Worlds (Adapt the path to where to clone the repo)
echo 'export GAZEBO_RESOURCE_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo/worlds:${GAZEBO_RESOURCE_PATH}' >> ~/.bashrc
Set Path of Ardupilot
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/ardupilot/Tools/autotest
export PATH=/usr/lib/ccache:$PATH
Reload the path (log-out and log-in to make permanent):
source ~/.bashrc
Test installation
Open one Terminal and launch SITL Ardupilot
sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter -f gazebo-iris --map --console
Open a second Terminal and launch Gazebo running ardupilot_gazebo plugin
gazebo --verbose worlds/iris_arducopter_runway.world
You should see a gazebo world with a small quadcopter right at the center
SETP 3 - Gazebo ROS plugin (roscam) :
This contains the ROS integrated custom models and .world files for Gazebo
Clone Gazebo roscam integrated mdodel repository
# Source ROS
source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash
# Clone custom Gazebo ROS package
cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/r0ch1n/ardupilot_gazebo_roscam
cd ardupilot_gazebo_roscam
catkin init
cd src
catkin_create_pkg ardupilot_gazebo
cd ..
catkin build
# Add Custom models and plugin to Gazebo
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo/models:$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo_roscam/src/ardupilot_gazebo/models:$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gazebo-11/plugins:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/opt/ros/noetic/lib:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH
# Test installation
source ~/ardupilot_gazebo_roscam/devel/setup.bash
roslaunch ardupilot_gazebo iris_with_roscam.launch
SETP 4 - Connect ArduPilot to ROS using MAVROS :
Connect to Ardupilot from ROS (Ardupilot <–> MAVLink <–> ROS ) Original information taken from here Note - Gazebo is not included in MAVROS so you cannot connect or access any of the Gazebo's Environments.
Setup MAVROS
New versions of MAVProxy and pymavlink are released quite regularly. If you are a regular SITL user you should update every now and again using this command
cd ~/
mkdir -p ardupilot_ws/src
cd ardupilot_ws
catkin init
cd src
mkdir launch
cd launch
roscp mavros apm.launch apm.launch
sudo gedit apm.launch
To connect to SITL we just need to modify the first line to <arg name="fcu_url" default="udp://127.0.0.1:14551@" />. save you file and launch it with
Test
cd ~/ardupilot_ws/src/launch
roslaunch apm.launch
Run it all
Launch Gazebo
Open one Terminal and launch ROS integrated Gazebo
#Make sure you have all the right environment, if you are not sure run the following first
source /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo/models:$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH
export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=~/ardupilot_gazebo_roscam/src/ardupilot_gazebo/models:$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gazebo-9/plugins:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=/opt/ros/noetic/lib:$GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH
#Launch ROS integrated Gazebo
source ~/ardupilot_gazebo_roscam/devel/setup.bash
roslaunch ardupilot_gazebo iris_with_roscam.launch
Launch SITL Ardupilot
Open a second Terminal and launch SITL Ardupilot
cd ~/ardupilot/ArduCopter
sim_vehicle.py -f gazebo-iris --console --map
Subscribe to the virtual roscam feed
Open a third Terminal and RTL
rqt
Select Plugins -> Visualization -> Image View
Then choose /roscam/cam/image_raw
You should see the live feed from inside gazebo
Final notes and comments
You can use any GCS Adrupilot software to control the UAV.
Troubleshooting
1. udp0: sendto: Invalid argument mavros
Please check this blog
2. link 1 down, even after launching ardupilot_gazebo
Check X-Terminal's Output (if two X-Terminals open). The only remedy I could find was to reinstall ardupilot SITL and ardupilot_gazebo
3. Could not find a package configuration file provided by "mavros" with any of the following names: mavrosConfig.cmake mavros-config.cmake
Follow the installation mentioned in this link
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