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NXT-ROS

A software stack containing tools for using LEGO Mindstorms NXT with ROS.

This branch depends on:
• ROS Kinetic
• Python 2.x
• NXT-Python v2.2.2

Originally forked from: http://stack-nxt.foote-ros-pkg.googlecode.com/hg

.

###Documentation
Installation instructions are in this README file.

The original documentation has more detailed information:
wiki.ros.org/nxt
wiki.ros.org/nxt_robots
wiki.ros.org/nxt_apps

###Package status These packages use rosbuild and were tested with ROS Kinetic on Ubuntu 16.04.

The following features have been tested:

nxt stack:

  • nxt_controllers
  • nxt_description
  • nxt_lxf2urdf
  • nxt_msgs
  • nxt_python
  • nxt_ros
  • nxt_ros_test
  • nxt_rviz_plugin

nxt_robots stack:

  • nxt_robot_gyro_car
  • nxt_robot_kit_test
  • nxt_robot_sensor_car

nxt_apps stack:

  • nxt_assisted_teleop
  • nxt_teleop

.

###Installation

Upgrade the firmware on your NXT brick.
The minimum required version is 1.28, but 1.31 is the latest as of Jan 2016.

Clone the Kinetic branch of this repository:

cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/dbworth/NXT-ROS.git --branch kinetic

Copy the 3 stacks into your ROS package path.
Note: you only need the nxt stack to get started.

cp NXT-ROS/nxt $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH
cp NXT-ROS/nxt_robots $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH
cp NXT-ROS/nxt_apps $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH

Install dependencies:

NXT-Python v2.2.2 is automatically installed in the /src directory of the nxt_python package when we run rosmake.

You can install the other dependencies using the Ubuntu Package Manager or ROSdep:

sudo apt-get install ogre-1.9-tools ros-kinetic-bfl libcppunit-dev libcppunit-1.13-0v5 ros-kinetic-joy ros-kinetic-robot-pose-ekf ros-kinetic-costmap-2d ros-kinetic-navigation sudo apt-get install libbluetooth-dev sudo pip install PyBluez PyUSB

Compile the stacks of packages:

rosmake nxt

Than you will get an error while compilling linest_rviz_plugin. Thats because of parse error at "BOOST_JOIN". This macros are used to define a namespace name.
I don't know what the right way to fix this but I know two ways to solve it:

  1. Add to file, where including file with "BOOST_JOIN" inside (like has_binary_operator.hp)

    Example:

    #ifndef Q_MOC_RUN
#include <boost/type_traits/detail/has_binary_operator.hp>
#endif

    But it didn't help me. Mb I used it wrong way.

  2. Compile nxt by parts.

    Compile first part of nxt with last libboost, then downgrade to 1.48 and continue compiling and then go back to last version and end compiling.

    sudo dpkg -P --force-all libboost-all-dev
    sudo dpkg -P --force-all libboost1.58-dev:amd64
    sudo dpkg -P --force-all libboost1.58-tools-dev

    rosmake nxt

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get -f install

    rosmake nxt

rosmake nxt_robots
rosmake nxt_apps

Set the USB permissions:

Add a new group:

sudo groupadd lego

Add yourself to that group:

sudo usermod -a -G lego USERNAME

For Ubuntu versions before 12.0, create a udev rules file for the lego group that you just created:

echo "BUS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="0694", GROUP="lego", MODE="0660"" > /tmp/70-lego.rules && sudo mv /tmp/70-lego.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/70-lego.rules

Restart udev:

sudo system

Log-out or restart your computer.

###Test the installation:

Connect your NXT Brick to the computer via USB cable.
You can run this utility to display information about your Brick:

$ rosrun nxt_python nxt_test

You should see the following output:

NXT brick name: MyBrick
Host address: 00:16:00:00:D3:00
Bluetooth signal strength: 0
Free user flash: 25872
Protocol version 1.124
Firmware version 1.31
Battery level 7602 mV

nxt stack:

Connect a touch sensor to port 1.

roscore
rosrun nxt_python touch_sensor_test.py

When you push the touch sensor, the output on the screen will change.
The node automatically exits are 5 seconds.

Now connect a motor to port A.

roslaunch nxt_ros_test test.launch

Check the status of the touch sensor using ROS:

rostopic echo /my_touch_sensor

When you push the touch sensor, the boolean value published in the ROS msg will change.

Read the position of the motor using ROS:

rostopic echo /joint_states

When you rotate the motor shaft by hand, the position and velocity values published in the ROS msg will change.

Make the motor rotate using ROS:

rostopic pub /joint_command nxt_msgs/JointCommand '{name: 'motor_joint', effort: 0.8}' --once

The 'effort' value can be in the range 0.0 to 1.25, with +/- to specify the direction.

To stop the motor, set the effort to 0.0:

rostopic pub /joint_command nxt_msgs/JointCommand '{name: 'motor_joint', effort: 0.0}' --once

nxt_robots stack:

Connect motors to Port A and Port B of the NXT Brick.
Connect an ultrasonic sensor to Port 2.
Connect the NXT to your computer.

roscore

In a new terminal:

roslaunch nxt_robot_sensor_car robot.launch

In a new terminal:

rosrun rviz rviz

In Rviz you'll need to set the Fixed Frame to '/base_link'.
Add a RobotModel display so you can visualize the robot.

nxt_apps stack:

In a new terminal:

roslaunch nxt_teleop teleop_keyboard.launch

or

roslaunch nxt_assisted_teleop assisted_teleop.launch

Use the arrow keys to control the motors.

You can also use a joystick.
Configure the joystick using the instructions here:
http://wiki.ros.org/joy/Tutorials/ConfiguringALinuxJoystick

roslaunch nxt_teleop teleop_joy.launch

With the Microsoft XBox 360 joystick, you need to hold down the top-left button. The left joystick controls turning, the right joystick goes forward.

MotorControl firmware:

MotorControl is a program that can be optionally installed on your NXT Brick to provide more accurate control of the motors using python. Instead of sending commands directly to the motor, you send commands to the onboard controller which tracks the status of the motors.

Copy the MotorControl program to your NXT Brick.
You must first change to the directory containing the *.rxe file:

roscd nxt_python/src/MotorControl/

Connect to your Brick via USB cable and transfer the program binary:

rosrun nxt_python nxt_push MotorControl22.rxe

Test the controller using the provided test script:

roscore
rosrun nxt_python motor_cont_test.py

=============