Visual SLAM on Drone

Hardware Requirements

• Intel NUC (Link) with Ubuntu 20.04
• Intel Realsense D435i Depth camera (Link)
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C to Type A cable
• BEC for powering on NUC (Used Traco TEP 1000-2415 - Link)
• Flight Controller with Ardupilot (Used Link)
• Resisters

Prerequisites

1. ROS (Robot Operating System): Ensure ROS is installed on your system. This guide assumes you are using ROS Noetic.
2. MAVProxy: A command-line ground control station for MAVLink-based drones.
3. RealSense SDK: Install the RealSense SDK for camera support.
4. Python 3: Required for running the Python scripts.
5. Mavros: Required for connecting Mavproxy to ROS

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/arjungupta1012/V-SLAM.git
   cd V-SLAM

2. Run the System Setup Script

   The setup.sh script will install system dependencies and configure the environment. Make sure to review the script for any customizations you might need.

   chmod +x setup.sh
   ./setup.sh

2. Install Python Dependencies

The requirements.txt file includes Python packages necessary for the project. Install them using pip:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

Configuration and Usage

1. Start MAVProxy

Start MAVProxy with the following command to establish the communication channels:

mavproxy.py --out udp:127.0.0.1:14540 --out udp:127.0.0.1:14550 --out 127.0.0.1:14560

2. Launch MAVROS

Launch the MAVROS node with the following command:

roslaunch mavros apm.launch

Ensure that the apm.launch file is correctly set up for your MAVLink communication parameters.

3. Start the Camera Node

Launch the RealSense camera node for visual input:

roslaunch realsense2_camera opensource_tracking.launch

Make sure that opensource_tracking.launch is configured according to your camera setup.

4. Run the Python Script

Finally, run the Python script to start the Visual SLAM process:

python3 all.py

Troubleshooting

• MAVProxy Connection Issues: Ensure that MAVProxy is correctly configured and running. Check for any error messages in the terminal.
• ROS Launch Errors: Verify that all ROS packages are installed and sourced properly. Use roscd to ensure paths are correct.
• Camera Not Detected: Confirm that the RealSense camera is connected and recognized by your system. Check dmesg or lsusb for device detection.

Contribution

Feel free to open issues or pull requests if you encounter problems or have improvements to suggest. Contributions are welcome!

Contact

For questions or support, please contact arjun222gupta@gmail.com.