Use Rviz to simulate and control MIT Racecar model¶
In this section we run 2-D simulation in Rviz using the MIT racecar model. Here we control the racecar in two ways:
- Using the gamepad,
- Using custom Publisher and Subscriber.
Setup¶
First we need to install additional required packages.
If you are running ubuntu 16.*, do the following:
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-tf2-geometry-msgs ros-kinetic-ackermann-msgs ros-kinetic-joy ros-kinetic-map-server
If you are running ubunut 18.*, do the following:
sudo apt-get install ros-melodic-tf2-geometry-msgs ros-melodic-ackermann-msgs ros-melodic-joy ros-melodic-map-server
Then we clone the github repo of MIT Racecar in our catkin_ws/src folder.
cd ~/catkin_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/mit-racecar/racecar_simulator.git
Now go back up one stage and compile the new packages:
cd ..
catkin_make
source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash
At this point all the required packages and libraries should be installed.
Quick Start¶
To run the simulation, in terminal we run:
roslaunch racecar_simulator simulate.launch
This will bringup a server that runs everything including roscore, the simulator, a preselected map, a model of the racecar and the joystick server.
In order to visualize the simulation, we open the Rviz simulator by typing：
rviz
You will see the GUI of rviz popping up, with an empty world. We then click “Add” in the lower-left panel, and select tab “By topic” and add the /map topic and then add the /scan topic. Under the “By display type” tab, we add the RobotModel type.
In the left panel under the newly added LaserScan section, change the size to 0.1 meters for a clearer visualization of the lidar.
Controlling the car using gamepad¶
For this part, simply connect the usb receiver of your gamepad to your computer. Switch the mode of the gamepad to D, then you should be able to control the car using two joysticks.
The rviz environment with the scanning car should look like this:
