Jackal_ClearPath

The robot is accessible through SSH from the primary lab router at: $ssh administrator@192.168.0.44 and from the outdoor router at $ssh administrator@192.168.0.44. The password is clearpath. (Sometimes it may change; in case it changes, please log in to 192.168.0.1 and check the IP of cpr-j100-0750)

How to connect the Jackal with a router

1. First, log in to jackal using ssh. Then, use the following commands:

$ cd /etc/netplan
$ sudo nano 60-wireless.yaml

2. There, you can see 2 router information: One for indoor and one for outdoor. Choose the router and password that you need to use and comment the other.
   
3. Command $ sudo netplan apply to make changes.
   
4. Then, the Jackal will be connected with the desired router. After collecting outdoor data, please change it to the indoor router using the same process.
   

How to run physical Jackal on your local machine

1. Connect to the router that the physical Jackal connects
2. Check your local IP address, for example, “wlp0s20f3: 192.168.0.138 ”
3. $ vim ~/.bashrc
4. Add these codes:

$ export ROS_IP=192.168.0.138
$ export ROS_HOSTNAME=192.168.0.138
$ export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://192.168.0.44:11311

5. Command $ vim /etc/hosts
6. Put your IP address in the file, for example “192.168.0.138 XXX” and save it.

Sensors :

We have two Hokuyo lidars, a Velodyne, and a Zed camera. These are automatically running. If you $cd /etc/ros/noetic/ros.d, you will see which launch file is automatically running. Here, we have accessories.launch and base.launch.

ZED 2i Stereo camera

1. We have already set up the ZED camera; see zed_node. You can clone the ZED packages for ROS from here
2. To launch the ZED camera

$ cd catkin_ws
$ source devel/setup.bash
$ roslaunch zed_wrapper zed2.launch

3. $ rosparam get /zed_node to see the params.
4. If you want to subscribe to the node, run this code in Python: self.image_sub = rospy.Subscriber('/zed_node/rgb/image_rect_color', Image, self.image_callback)
5. If you want to see the images, you need to $ rosrun image_view image_view image:=/zed_node/rgb/image_rect_color. Please first download $ sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-image-view

Camera Calibration

Image height:  360
Image width:  640
distortion_model: plumb_bob
D
	[0]:  0.000000
	[1]:  0.000000
	[2]:  0.000000
	[3]:  0.000000
	[4]:  0.000000

K = [
  [263.799377,   0.000000, 328.877686],
  [  0.000000, 263.799377, 178.553421],
  [  0.000000,   0.000000,   1.000000]
]

R = [
  [1.000000, 0.000000, 0.000000],
  [0.000000, 1.000000, 0.000000],
  [0.000000, 0.000000, 1.000000]
]

P = [
  [263.799377,   0.000000, 328.877686, 0.000000],
  [  0.000000, 263.799377, 178.553421, 0.000000],
  [  0.000000,   0.000000,   1.000000, 0.000000]
]

binning_x:  0
binning_y:  0
roi
	x_offset:  0
	y_offset:  0
	height:  0
	width:  0
	do_rectify: False

Velodyne VLP16 Lidar:

1. You can clone the packages for ROS from here
2. If you see the accessories.launch file, ctrl + F, to type velodyne, you will see the IP address and related launch file.

HOKUYO Lidar:

1. We have 2 HOKUYO lidar in jackal. Please check the following for their IP:

<group if="$(eval (arg('lidar_model') == 'ust10') | (arg('lidar_model') == 'utm30'))">
      <node pkg="urg_node" name="hokuyo" type="urg_node">
        <param name="ip_address" value="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_HOST 192.168.131.20)" />
        <param name="frame_id" value="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_MOUNT front)_laser" />
        <remap from="scan" to="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_TOPIC front/scan)" />
      </node>
    </group>

    <group if="$(eval (arg('lidar2_model') == 'ust10') | (arg('lidar2_model') == 'utm30'))">
      <node pkg="urg_node" name="hokuyo_2" type="urg_node">
        <param name="ip_address" value="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_SECONDARY_HOST 192.168.131.21)" />
        <param name="frame_id" value="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_SECONDARY_MOUNT rear)_laser" />
        <remap from="scan" to="$(optenv JACKAL_LASER_SECONDARY_TOPIC rear/scan)" />
      </node>
    </group>

2. $cd ~/tutorial, you will see Hokuyo_front and Hokuyo_rear launch file. If you run these two launch files, then you will see the rostopic named /front/scan and /inv/scan

<node pkg="tf" type="static_transform_publisher" name="hokuyo2hokuyo_inv" args="0 0 0 0 0 3.14159  rear_mount hokuyo_inv 10" />
  <node name="urg_node" pkg="urg_node" type="urg_node" output="screen">
    <param name="ip_address" value="192.168.131.21"/>
    <param name="serial_port" value=""/>
    <param name="serial_baud" value="115200"/>
    <param name="frame_id" value="hokuyo_inv"/>
    <param name="calibrate_time" value="true"/>
    <param name="publish_intensity" value="false"/>
    <param name="publish_multiecho" value="false"/>
    <param name="angle_min" value="-1.5707963"/>
    <param name="angle_max" value="1.5707963"/>
    
    <remap from="scan" to="front/scan" />
  </node>

and

<node pkg="tf" type="static_transform_publisher" name="hokuyo2hokuyo_inv" args="0 0 0 0 0 3.14159  rear_mount hokuyo_inv 10" />
  <node name="urg_node_" pkg="urg_node" type="urg_node" output="screen">
    <param name="ip_address" value="192.168.131.20"/>
    <param name="serial_port" value=""/>
    <param name="serial_baud" value="115200"/>
    <param name="frame_id" value="hokuyo_inv_"/>
    <param name="calibrate_time" value="true"/>
    <param name="publish_intensity" value="false"/>
    <param name="publish_multiecho" value="false"/>
    <param name="angle_min" value="-1.5707963"/>
    <param name="angle_max" value="1.5707963"/>
    
    <remap from="scan" to="inv/scan" />
  </node>

The original URDF file for the Jackal robot in our laboratory

The gmu04_jackal_description file consists of three components, specifically the LiDAR mounting plate, optics mounting plate, and ZED2 stereo camera. This represents only a partial URDF implementation for the Jackal robot.

For the complete Jackal robot description, please clone the official repository:

  git clone https://github.com/jackal/jackal.git --branch <ROS_VERSION>-devel

The complete URDF specification can be found at /jackal_description/urdf/jackal.urdf.xacro. Be sure to copy all corresponding mesh files as well.