Robotic Arm Control Repository

Overview

This repository contains the essential packages for simulating and controlling a robotic arm for Team Deimos Mars Rover 2024 . The setup includes:

• URDF Launch Package: For launching the robot model in a simulation environment.
• MoveIt Package: For planning and executing motions of the robotic arm.
• Teleoperation (Teleop) Package: For controlling the robotic arm using key bindings.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Usage
  • 1. Launch the Robotic Arm in Gazebo
  • 2. Simulate Motion Planning with MoveIt
  • 3. Teleoperate the Robotic Arm
• File Structure
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have met the following requirements:

• ROS Noetic installed on Ubuntu 20.04.
• Gazebo installed for simulation.
• MoveIt for motion planning.
• Basic understanding of ROS packages and launch files.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/rishang19dx/URC-Robotic-Arm.git
   cd URC-Robotic-Arm

2. Install necessary dependencies:

   rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y

3. Build the workspace:

   catkin build
   source devel/setup.bash

Usage

1. Launch the Robotic Arm in Gazebo

To launch the robotic arm in the Gazebo simulation:

roslaunch arm_urdf arm_urdf.launch

2. Simulate Motion Planning with MoveIt

To plan and execute motions using MoveIt:

roslaunch arm_moveit full_robot_arm_sim.launch

3. Teleoperate the Robotic Arm

To control the robotic arm using key bindings:

rosrun arm_teleop teleop.py

File Structure

  URC-Robotic-Arm/
  ├── arm_urdf/
  │   ├── urdf/
  │   │   └── arm_urdf.urdf                     # URDF model of the robotic arm
  │   ├── launch/
  │   │   └── arm_urdf.launch                   # Launch file for Gazebo simulation
  ├── arm_moveit/
  │   ├── config/
  │   │   └── ...                               # MoveIt configuration files
  │   ├── launch/
  │   │   └── full_robot_arm_sim.launch         # Launch file for MoveIt
  ├── arm_teleop/
  │   ├── src/
  │   │   └── teleop.py                         # Script for key binding control
  └── README.md                                 # You are here!
  

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, consider the following:

• Ensure all dependencies are installed and sourced correctly.
• Check the URDF file for any syntax errors if the robot doesn't load in Gazebo.
• Verify that the correct ROS nodes are running if MoveIt or teleoperation doesn't work.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have suggestions, find a bug, or want to add a feature, feel free to create an issue or submit a pull request.

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature-branch).
3. Make your changes and commit them (git commit -am 'Add some feature').
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature-branch).
5. Create a pull request.

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