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 :
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
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 :
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
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
Instructions taken from ardupilot.org (See original instructions ).
(See original instructions ).
Connect to Ardupilot from ROS (Ardupilot <–> MAVLink <–> ROS ) Original information taken from Note - Gazebo is not included in MAVROS so you cannot connect or access any of the Gazebo's Environments.
