spot_autonomy

UT Spot Autonomy Stack

Dependencies

1. ROS
2. System dependencies

   sudo apt install qt5-default libqt5websockets5-dev libgoogle-glog-dev libgflags-dev
   

3. AMRL Fork of Clearpath Spot ROS Interface, forked from https://github.com/clearpathrobotics/spot_ros

Build

1. Clone and add repo paths to ROS_PACKAGE_PATH
   1. amrl_msgs
   2. spot_autonomy
2. Run make
3. Add commands to do step 1. to bashrc (otherwise need to repeat this step for launching spot_autonomy in every new shell session).

External Hardware

• See https://github.com/ut-amrl/amrl-documentation/blob/master/robots/spot.md

Usage

1. Initial Setup Only: Replicate launch/start_clearpath_spot.launch.example to launch/start_clearpath_spot.launch, filling in your Spot robot username, password, and IP address.
2. [Optional, if running under docker]:

   cd /home/amrl-user/ros-docker
   docker-compose up
   

   Open an interactive shell to the docker instance (run any ros/spot modules here):

   docker exec -it ros-docker_app_1 bash
   

3. roslaunch spot_autonomy start_all.launch

Joystick

Spektrum DXS SPMR1010

• D Switch: Manual and Autonomous Control
  • "0" (away): Autonomous Control
  • "1" (neutral): Stop Robot
  • "2" (back): Manual Control
• A Button: Start/Stop rosbag record

While in Manual Control:

• Left Joystick: Yaw Control
• Right Joystick: Translation Control
• B Switch: Sit and Stand
  • "0" (down): Sit
  • "1" (neutral): Resume Manual Control
  • "2" (up): Stand
• F Switch: Speed Control
  • "0" (away): Full Speed
  • "1" (back): ~70% Speed (we cannot customize this)

In addition to the "F" switch, the controller has a set of four "Trim" sliders that change the zero point of the joysticks (and thus their maximum and minimum values). These sliders emit audible chirps. A higher-pitched chirp is emitted when the neutral zero point is set.

PS4 Dualshock Controller

• Left bumper: Press and hold for manual control
• Right bumper: Press to enable autonomous mode, press any other button to go out of autonomous mode
• Left joystick + LB: Yaw control
• Right joystick + LB: Translation control
• X button + LB: Stand up
• Square button + LB: Sit down
• Triangle button + LB: Start rosbag record
• Circle button + LB: Stop rosbag record

The rosbag record command is defined in config/joystick.lua.