Oculus-Rift Gazebo Navigator

One of the highlights of the Gazebo 4.0.0 release is the added support for the trending VR platform: Oculus-Rift. This navigator is a simple tool that exploits the capabilities of the simulation environment's physics-engine to provide you with the ultimate virtual-reality experience in Gazebo. So simulation will no longer be just a part of development, but instead act as a new medium to demostrate your product to clients in its work environment (in the glory of full-scale).

Oculus-Rift Gazebo Navigator was featured on Gazebo's blog (Open Source Robotics Foundation).
Checkout the real AGV by Hope Technik: SESTO Autonomous Trolley.

Dependencies & Prerequisites

Core: ROS Hydro, Catkin: see package.xml

Custom Requirements: Gazebo 4.0.0, oculussdk

Other Requirements: ps3joy (Ubuntu) or osx_joystick (OSX)

Installation & Setup

See the wiki for more details.

Controls

PS3 Controller

Spawn Navigator (Empty world):

$ roslaunch oculus_gazebo_navigator example_oculus_ps3.launch

Credit: Jonathan Bohren

• Select Button: robot mode control

  default - toggle autonomous navigation mode
  a. Hold L2 - toggle isolated-bot control mode
  b. Hold R2 - toggle mirror-bot mode (playback rosbag data)

1. Left Joystick: virtual-camera maneuver

   Normal-bot control:
   default - walking speed
   a. Hold L2 - running speed

   Isolated-bot control:
   default - normal speed (x, y bot maneuver)
   b. Hold L2 - high speed (x, y bot maneuver)

2. Right Joystick: robot-teleop

   Normal-bot control:
   default - normal speed (x, y bot maneuver)
   a. Hold R2 - normal speed rotation (yaw bot maneuver)
   b. Hold L2 - high speed (x, y bot maneuver)
   c. Hold R2 & L2 - high speed rotation (yaw bot maneuver)

   Isolated-bot control:
   default - normal speed rotation (yaw bot maneuver)
   a. Hold L2 - high speed rotation (yaw bot maneuver)

3. Start Button:

   All bot-control modes:
   default – reset robot to spawn position

   Mirror-bot control:
   Hold L2 & R2 - calibrate robot's origin frame offset

4. Up Button: customizable request 1

5. Right Button: customizable request 2

6. Down Button: customizable request 3

7. Left Button: customizable request 4

8. Cross Button: toggle "X-ray vision" mode

9. Triangle Button: toggle "IronMan" mode

   default - toggle gravity
   a. R1 - up booster
   b. L1 - down booster

10. Square Button: toggle "Phasing" mode

Keyboard Op

Although you can control the virtual-camera using your keyboard, it's recommended that you use a PS3 controller for a more immersive experience. Also see issue #2.

To start the controller:

$ rosrun oculus_gazebo_navigator oculus_keyboard_controller

Instructions:

'w' forward, 's' back, 'a' left, 'd' right
'z' rotate leftwards, 'c' rotate rightwards
To run, hold 'shift' first and then press the corresponding buttons
'Q' to quit (i.e. Shift + 'q')