Welcome to the comprehensive guide on integrating the AGILEX SCOUT 2.0 mobile robot platform with ROS (Robot Operating System). ROS, renowned for its robustness and versatility, offers standard operating system services, including hardware abstraction, low-level device control, and efficient inter-process messaging. The architecture of ROS, based on a graph structure, facilitates seamless communication and data exchange among different nodes, allowing for diverse functionalities like sensing, control, status monitoring, and planning.

Table of Contents

ROS provide some standard operating system services, such as hardware abstraction, low-level device control, implementation of common function, inter process message and data packet management. ROS is based on a graph architecture, so that process of different nodes can receive, and aggregate various information (such as sensing, control, status, planning, etc.) Currently ROS mainly support UBUNTU.

Development Preparation

Hardware preparation

• CANlight can communication module ×1
• Thinkpad E470 notebook ×1
• AGILEX SCOUT 2.0 mobile robot chassis ×1
• AGILEX SCOUT 2.0 remote control FS-i6s ×1
• AGILEX SCOUT 2.0 top aviation power socket ×1

Use example environment description.

• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (This is a test version, tasted on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS)
• ROS Kinetic (Subsequent versions are also tested)
• Git

Hardware connection and preparation

• Lead out the CAN wire of the SCOUT 2.0 top aviation plug or the tail plug and connect CAN_H and CAN_L in the CAN wire to the CAN_TO_USB adapter respectively.
• Turn on the knob switch on the SCOUT 2.0 mobile robot chassis, and check whether the emergency stop switches on both sides are released.
• Connect the CAN_TO_USB to the usb point of the notebook. The connection diagram is shown in Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4 CAN connection diagram

ROS installation and environment setting