ROS package for Terabee Follow-Me

This package is a ROS wrapper for follow_me_driver contained in hardware_drivers package. It enables easy use of Terabee Follow-Me system in ROS environment.

Supported hardware

This package works with Terabee Follow-Me system.

Dependencies

This package depends on hardware_drivers. Please clone the repository into you workspace:

• If you have ssh key setup for your github account:

cd ~/ros_ws/src
git clone [email protected]:Terabee/hardware_drivers.git

• If you prefer to use https use this set of commands:

cd ~/ros_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/Terabee/hardware_drivers.git

Building the packages

Clone the repository into your workspace:

• If you have ssh key setup for your github account:

cd ~/ros_ws/src
git clone [email protected]:Terabee/follow_me_driver_ros.git

• If you prefer to use https use this set of commands:

cd ~/ros_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/Terabee/follow_me_driver_ros.git

Navigate to your workspace and build:

cd ~/ros_ws
catkin build
source devel/setup.bash

Nodes

follow_me_master_beacon

With this node you can receive data (distance in meters and heading in degrees) from the system. It is intended to use with master beacon connected to the computer.

It provides following configuration options of the system:

• switching between text and binary printout modes,
• swapping beacons,
• setting Exponential Moving Average filter number of samples (window size),
• setting span between the beacons (in millimeters),
• settings parameters for RS485 connection (Modbus slave id, baudrate, parity).

Running the node

After your workspace is built and sourced, you can run the node (set _portname to the actual port name where the master beacon is connected:

rosrun follow_me_driver_ros follow_me_master_beacon _portname:=/dev/ttyACM0

Subscribed topics

This node subscribes to the following topics:

• /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_autocalibrate : publishing to this topic activates span autocalibration mode
• /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_config : publishing to this topic sets parameters: printout mode, swap beacons, EMA filter window, span between the beacons
• /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_rs485_config : publishing to this topic sets slave id, baudrate and parity of RS485 interface
• /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_test_cmd : publishing to this topic triggers test command which returns actual configuration of the device

Example 1 of usage:

rostopic pub /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_config follow_me_driver_ros/FollowMeDriverConfig "printout_mode: 'Binary'
swap_beacons: true
ema_window: 10
beacons_span: 540"

Sets binary printout mode, swaps beacons, sets EMA filter to 10 samples and beacons span to 540 mm.

Example 2 of usage:

rostopic pub /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_rs485_config follow_me_driver_ros/FollowMeDriverRS485Config "rs485_slave_id: 3
rs485_baudrate: 19200
rs485_parity: 2"

Sets Modbus RTU slave id to 3, baud rate to 19200 and parity to 2 (Even).

To see list of valid values for each parameter, open respective *.msg file.

Published topics

This node publishes to the topic:

• /follow_me_master_beacon/follow_me_polar_point_2d : provides distance and heading of the remote control with respect to the beacons

follow_me_remote_control

This node is intended to use with remote control connected to the computer.

It provides following configuration options of the remote control:

• setting button operation mode (hold, toggle)
• setting buzzer operation (enabled, disabled)

Running the node

After your workspace is built and sourced, you can run the node (set _portname to the actual port name where the master beacon is connected:

rosrun follow_me_driver_ros follow_me_remote_control _portname:=/dev/ttyUSB0

Subscribed topics

This node subscribes to the following topics:

• /follow_me_remote_control/follow_me_get_config : publishing to this topic triggers command which returns actual configuration of the remote control
• /follow_me_remote_control/follow_me_set_config : publishing to this topic sets remote control configuration (button mode and buzzer state)

Example of usage:

rostopic pub /follow_me_remote_control/follow_me_set_config follow_me_driver_ros/FollowMeRemoteControlConfig "button_mode: 'Hold'
buzzer_active: false"

Sets button mode to Hold and deactivates buzzer.

To see list of valid values for each parameter, open respective *.msg file.

Example

A basic subscriber is available in subdirectory examples.

In order to use the package in your own node, do the following:

In CMakeLists.txt add the package name follow_me_driver_ros to find_package and catkin_package commands.

In package.xml add:

<build_depend>follow_me_driver_ros</build_depend>

and

<exec_depend>follow_me_driver_ros</exec_depend>