International Journal on Applications in Information and Communication Engineering

Volume 9 : Issue 3 : August 2023, pp 16 – 20 www.aetsjournal.com ISSN (Online) : 2394 - 6237

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TELEOPERATED ROBOT USING GAZEBO &

ROS
K. Arockia Yamini1, K. Muthusamy2, S. Harish3
1
Student, Rathinam Technical Campus, Coimbatore
2,3
Assistant Professor, Rathinam Technical Campus, Coimbatore
Abstract: - Robotics and automation have advanced quickly, which has sparked the creation of complex frameworks to improve robot capabilities.
A crucial framework for developing modular, versatile, and adaptive robotic systems is the Robot Operating System (ROS). In this article, we
offer a comprehensive strategy that makes use of ROS's capabilities to empower autonomous navigation and flexible interaction in a robotic
platform. An autonomous robot robot using the Robot Operating System (ROS) that can explore and move across unstructured surroundings. The
Robot Operating System is a well-known open-source framework that is frequently used for creating and managing robots. It offers a versatile and
modular design for a variety of robotic applications. In this project, I make use of ROS's features to develop a robotic system that can successfully
investigate its surroundings while independently navigating across difficult terrain. To properly detect its surroundings, the suggested robot is
outfitted with a variety of sensors, including LIDAR, cameras, and inertial measurement units (IMUs). The sensor inputs are combined utilizing
the sensor fusion capabilities of ROS, allowing the robot to create an accurate picture of its surroundings and make defensible navigational and
obstacle avoidance judgments. The project entails developing a localization system that continually updates the robot's position inside the
surroundings using methods like Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) in order to accomplish autonomous navigation. The robot will
be able to compute the best routes to attain preset goals while dynamically avoiding obstacles thanks to path planning algorithms coupled with
ROS's navigation stack. The results of this experiment might be used in a variety of industries, such as agriculture, disaster response,
environmental monitoring, and search and rescue operations.

Keywords: ROS (Robot Operating System), Robot control, Autonomous navigation, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), Human-
robot interaction, Multi-robot systems, Machine learning.

1. INTRODUCTION The ability to navigate through unknown and complex

environments, avoid obstacles, and make informed decisions
The rapid advancements in robotics and automation have led
is essential for the successful deployment of such robots.
to transformative changes in various industries, enabling
Through the integration of ROS's modular architecture and
robots to perform tasks that were once considered
various sensor technologies, this project aims to address
challenging or even impossible. The Robot Operating System
these challenges and showcase the capabilities of an
(ROS), an open-source framework, has played a pivotal role
autonomous robot in a simulation environment.
in revolutionizing the field of robotics by providing a
II. PROPOSED MODEL
versatile platform for developing, simulating, and deploying
robotic systems. This project focuses on leveraging the The advanced Robot Operating System (ROS) robot features
power of ROS to create an autonomous robot capable of a sophisticated hardware model that combines cutting-edge
navigating and exploring unstructured environments. technologies to enable exceptional performance and
versatility. At its core, the robot is equipped with a high-
Robots equipped with the ability to operate autonomously performance multi-core processor that handles complex
hold great potential across a wide range of applications, computations and sensor data fusion with efficiency. An
including disaster response, environmental monitoring, array of sensors, including LIDAR, depth cameras, IMUs,
precision agriculture, and industrial automation. and tactile sensors, provides comprehensive environmental
perception.

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 International Journal on Applications in Information and Communication Engineering
Volume 9 : Issue 3 : August 2023, pp 16 – 20 www.aetsjournal.com ISSN (Online) : 2394 - 6237
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These sensors enable simultaneous localization and mapping

(SLAM) capabilities, allowing the robot to navigate
autonomously in dynamic environments.

The robot's hardware extends to its robust mechanical design,

incorporating high-torque joints and precision actuators for
smooth and agile movement. With an integrated GPU, the
robot can perform real-time object recognition and
manipulation tasks, contributing to its advanced grasping and
interaction abilities. A high-capacity battery system powers
the robot for extended operation periods, while modular
expansion ports facilitate seamless integration of additional
hardware modules, such as custom end-effectors or
specialized sensors, tailored to specific tasks.

Advanced connectivity options, including 5G capabilities, Fig. 1 Block Diagram of the proposed model
enhance the robot's remote operation and data exchange
Determine the robot's intended application, whether it's for
capabilities, enabling seamless teleoperation and high-
research, exploration, education, or a specific task. Define
bandwidth communication with remote operators. The
the size, weight, mobility, sensors, actuators, and other
hardware architecture also prioritizes safety, incorporating
requirements based on the application.
redundant systems and fail-safes to ensure reliable operation
in various scenarios. Choose the necessary hardware components such as
microcontrollers, sensors (LIDAR, cameras, IMUs, etc.),
In conclusion, the hardware model of the advanced ROS
actuators (motors, servos), power supply (batteries), chassis,
robot represents a harmonious blend of computational power,
and any additional components required for your robot's
sensor diversity, mechanical precision, and connectivity
design.
features. This combination empowers the robot to excel in a
wide range of applications, from autonomous navigation and Mechanical Design and Assembly:
manipulation to human-robot collaboration, making it a Design the mechanical structure of the robot, keeping in
pivotal tool in modern robotics research and industry. mind the placement of sensors, actuators, and other
components. Assemble the physical robot according to your
Block Diagram of proposed Hardware Model
design.
The block diagram of the proposed hardware model is
Install ROS:
illustrated in Fig. 1.
Install ROS on a computer or microcontroller that will act as
the robot's brain. ROS provides various distributions; choose
the one that suits your needs. Ubuntu Linux is often
recommended as the operating system for ROS.

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 International Journal on Applications in Information and Communication Engineering
Volume 9 : Issue 3 : August 2023, pp 16 – 20 www.aetsjournal.com ISSN (Online) : 2394 - 6237
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Create a ROS Workspace: Documentation:

Set up a ROS workspace to organize your robot's software Document your robot's hardware design, software
packages. This is where you'll develop, compile, and manage architecture, ROS nodes, packages, and any other relevant
your robot's software components. information. This will be helpful for troubleshooting,
maintenance, and sharing your work with others.
Develop ROS Nodes and Packages:

ROS operates on a node-based architecture. Develop ROS Deployment:

nodes and packages to handle various functionalities of the
Once your ROS robot is fully functional and tested, deploy it
robot, such as sensor data processing, motor control,
mapping, navigation, and interaction. for its intended application. Monitor its performance and

Implement Sensors and Actuators: make any necessary adjustments based

Integrate and configure the sensors and actuators according In the context of a ROS (Robot Operating System) robot, a
to your robot's requirements. Write ROS nodes to interface system process refers to a self-contained computational unit
with these hardware components, allowing data exchange
that performs a specific task within the robotic system. ROS
between them and the software environment.
facilitates the organization and communication between
Implement Perception and Control: various system processes, allowing them to work together to
accomplish complex robotic tasks. These processes are often
Develop perception algorithms to process sensor data, implemented as ROS nodes, which are the fundamental
perform object detection, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization building blocks of ROS applications.
and Mapping), and obstacle avoidance. Create control
algorithms to maneuver the robot based on the sensory input.

Testing and Debugging:

Test your robot's individual components and functionalities.

Use tools like RViz (ROS Visualization) to visualize sensor
data, TF (Transform Library) to manage coordinate
transformations, and rosbag to record and replay data for
debugging.

Integration and System Testing:

Fig. 2 ROS block diagram
Integrate all the components and functionalities of the robot.
Test the robot in controlled environments to ensure that it RViz (ROS Visualization)
performs as expected.
RViz is a powerful visualization tool within the Robot
Calibration and Fine-Tuning:
Operating System (ROS) ecosystem that allows developers,
Calibrate sensors and actuators to ensure accurate data and researchers, and roboticists to visualize and interact with
various aspects of a robot's perception and state. RViz
precise movements. Fine-tune control algorithms to optimize
provides a real-time 3D visualization of data generated by
performance. different sensors and robot components, aiding in debugging,
testing, and understanding the robot's behavior. It plays a
crucial role in the development and analysis of robotics
applications.

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 International Journal on Applications in Information and Communication Engineering
Volume 9 : Issue 3 : August 2023, pp 16 – 20 www.aetsjournal.com ISSN (Online) : 2394 - 6237
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RViz supports the visualization of diverse data types, such as Developers can customize and extend Gazebo's capabilities
point clouds from LIDAR sensors, images from cameras, by adding plugins for specific sensors, controllers, and
robot poses, trajectory paths, and more. Users can configure behaviors.
and customize RViz to display multiple types of data
simultaneously, enabling a comprehensive view of the robot's
environment and its interactions. RViz also provides options
for displaying reference frames, overlays, and interactive
markers, allowing users to manipulate the visualization and
gain insights into complex robotic scenarios.

Fig. 4 ROS OBJECT VISUALIZATION

One of the notable aspects of Gazebo is its integration with

ROS. Robots can be controlled within Gazebo using ROS
nodes, allowing for seamless interaction between the
simulated robot and other ROS components. This integration
facilitates the development, testing, and debugging of robot
control algorithms, sensor integration, and navigation
strategies.
Fig. 3 ROS 3D VISUALIZATION
Overall, Gazebo's capability to replicate real-world
Moreover, RViz is an essential tool for evaluating and fine- interactions and scenarios in a virtual environment makes it a
tuning algorithms related to mapping, localization, path valuable tool for prototyping and evaluating robot behaviors,
planning, and obstacle avoidance. Its real-time visualization reducing development time and costs, and enhancing the
capabilities aid in identifying potential issues, refining overall reliability of robotics systems before deployment.
parameters, and ensuring that the robot's behavior aligns with
the intended goals. Whether it's simulating robot motion, III. INTERNET OF THINGS
verifying sensor data accuracy, or verifying the effectiveness
A ROS robot is a type of robot that uses the Robot Operating
of navigation algorithms, development and testing process in
the field of robotics. System (ROS) as its software framework to control and
manage its various components and functionalities. ROS is
Gazebo
an open-source middleware designed to facilitate the
Gazebo is a widely used open-source simulator in the ROS
development of robotic systems by providing a flexible and
ecosystem that provides a realistic and dynamic environment
for simulating robots, sensors, and various physical modular platform for creating, controlling, and interacting
interactions. It's particularly useful during the development with robots. It offers tools, libraries, and conventions for
phase of a robot, allowing developers to test and validate building and coordinating complex robot behaviors.
algorithms and behaviors in a controlled virtual environment
before deploying them on a physical robot.
ROS Architecture: ROS follows a distributed architecture
Gazebo's key features include physics-based simulations, based on nodes. Nodes are individual software modules that
accurate modeling of sensors and actuators, and the ability to perform specific tasks, such as sensor data processing, motor
create complex scenarios involving multiple robots and
control, mapping, navigation, and more. Nodes communicate
objects. It supports simulating a wide range of robots, from
wheeled ground robots to flying drones and even humanoid with each other by publishing and subscribing to topics,
robots. which are data streams of a specific type.

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Volume 9 : Issue 3 : August 2023, pp 16 – 20 www.aetsjournal.com ISSN (Online) : 2394 - 6237
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Modularity and Reusability: ROS encourages modularity and Operating System in shaping the future of robotics. Through
reusability of code. Functionality is organized into packages, meticulous design, development, and implementation, we
have successfully created a virtual environment where our
and packages are composed of nodes, libraries, and
ROS-based robot exhibited complex behaviors, navigated
configuration files. This modular approach allows developers autonomously, and interacted seamlessly with its
to create and share software components that can be easily surroundings. The project highlighted the versatility and
modularity of ROS, enabling us to integrate various
integrated into various robotic systems.
components, sensors, and algorithms to achieve a cohesive
and functional simulation. As we reflect on the journey
Sensor Integration: ROS provides libraries and tools to
undertaken during this project, it becomes evident that ROS's
interface with a wide range of sensors, such as cameras, open-source nature empowers researchers, developers, and
LIDAR, IMUs, GPS, and more. robotics enthusiasts to collaborate, innovate, and address the
challenges of the rapidly evolving robotics landscape. Our
Mapping and Navigation: ROS offers capabilities for simulation not only showcased the technical capabilities of
ROS but also underscored the importance of robust software
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), enabling
architectures, efficient communication protocols, and
robots to create maps of their environments while adaptive algorithms for building sophisticated robotic
simultaneously determining their own positions within those systems.
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