Docker

Most of the docker documentation can be found in the README.md in the docker folder. If you read this and feel like you have too much free time, feel free to move it here. 🐸

Simulation Environment

After cloning this repository, you'll have two different simulation images you can choose from: Melodic and Noetic.

Melodic, found in melodic-simulation, is the official simulation environment provided by PAL. Noetic, found in noetic-simulation, is the upgrade of the official simulation to ROS Noetic (Ubuntu 20.04). It's the same packages, but some might be upgraded in order to run with ROS Noetic. Since ARI has now been upgraded to use ROS Noetic, use the Noetic images.

To start up the simulation environment consult the official tutorials.

In the Noetic simulation, work has also been done to allow the simulation to use the LIDAR for localization. To use it, when starting the simulation, append laser_model:=ydlidar-tg15 to the command. Still unsure whether mapping runs with LIDAR or Front Depth Camera.

It's important that every simulation is run with the public_sim:=true argument. Right now it doesn't seem like we have access to the PAL private simulation images.

PAL has provided docker images with some additional plugins which allow running some things they have in the documentation, like a special RViz interface. To be able to build these images and run the commands shown in the official PAL documentation, you need access to the PAL docker registry. For that you should talk to Ermanno. These images seem a bit useless...