Chapter 3: Install and run the turtlebot package

[neuronet]

So you've got ROS installed and done some simple tutorials, time to test it all out with Gazebo using the turtlebot package. This involves three main tasks (A, B, and C):

A. Install Gazebo as on page 67 of the book.
B. Install and test turtleBot package as described on page 69-72 of the book. First step install synaptic if it isn’t installed (sudo apt-get install synaptic). Second install rocon and kobuki as described on pages 70-71.  Third, install turtlebot package. I did this using the package tool, slightly modified from page 72 of the book:

Code:

sudo apt-get install ros-indigo-turtlebot ros-indigo-turtlebot-apps ros-indigo-turtlebot-interactions ros-indigo-turtlebot-simulator ros-indigo-kobuki-ftdi ros-indigo-rocon-remocon ros-indigo-rocon-qt-library ros-indigo-ar-track-alvar-msgs

Fourth, and finally, you have to be sure to add turtlebot package to .bashrc file:

Code:

echo “source ~/turtlebot/devel/setup.bash” >> ~.bashrc

Then source it with:

Code:

source ~/.bashrc.

Once you do that the correct packages should be in your command path.

C. Test it! Now you are ready to test and see if it works. Open two terminal windows, and in one each enter the following commands:

Code:

roslaunch turtlebot_gazebo turtlebot_world.launch
 roslaunch turtlebot_teleop keyboard_teleop.launch

Note the first command is different from the suggested command in the book on page 72, which recommends 'turtlebot_empty_world.launch.' For me, this gave an error, I think it is an old launch file from a previous distribution of ROS as it doesn't seem to be part of Indigo's turtlebot_gazebo package.

These two commands should open a Gazebo window, and a window to let you control the simulated turtlebot with your keyboard, respectively. Just hit the u,i, o, and other keys as it says:

Control Your Turtlebot!
---------------------------
Moving around:
  u    i    o
  j    k    l
  m    ,    .

And you can navigate that little sucker around what essentially looks like a dirty back alley in New York City.