UAV Setup Guides (QUTAS Flight Stack)

QUTAS Flight Stack

The QUTAS Flight Stack (QFS) is comprised of the following software:

Base Packages (qfs_base)

• breadcrumb
• contrail*
• contrail_msgs*
• rqt_contrail_commander*
• rqt_contrail_planner*
• mavel
• pid_controller_lib
• tinyspline_ros
• qutas_lab_450

*These packages are included as part of the contrail meta-package.

Visualization Packages (qfs_viz)

• rqt_generic_hud
• rqt_robin_gcs
• rqt_mavros_gui
• rqt_eydropper
• rqt_quaternion_view

Flight Control Packages (qfs_fc)

• robin
• robin_gazebo

Simulator Packages (qfs_sim)

• uavusr_emulator
• uavtaq_emulator

Extension Packages (qfs_extra)

• marker_localization
• teleop_offboard_attitude

Example Packages (qfs_example)

• egh450_path_planning
• egh450_target_solvepnp
• egh450_robin_servo_control
• egh450_image_processor
• egh450_navigation_interface

All Packages (qfs_all)

Combines all of the previous packages into one.

Prerequisites

Before continuing, make sure you have done the following steps:

• Installed ROS correctly and are able to run roscore successfully (refer here).
• Correctly set up and initialized your catkin workspace.
• Installed wstool:

sudo apt-get install python-wstool

• Installed the QFS supporting packages:

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ROS Melodic

sudo apt install ros-melodic-robot ros-melodic-geometry2 ros-melodic-video-stream-opencv ros-melodic-image-transport-plugins ros-melodic-mavros-msgs ros-melodic-joy python-matplotlib

ROS Kinetic

sudo apt install ros-kinetic-robot ros-kinetic-geometry2 ros-kinetic-video-stream-opencv ros-kinetic-image-transport-plugins ros-kinetic-mavros-msgs ros-kinetic-joy python-matplotlib

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Setup

First we need to prepare the workspace:

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws
cd ~/catkin_ws

wstool init src

Next, we download the QFS definitions as listed in the headings above. If you are returning to add more packages, you would start at this step). To add the Base Packages (qfs_base) to the workspace (repeat for all desired package groups):

cd ~/catkin_ws/
QFS_PACKAGE=qfs_base
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/qutas/info/master/Stack/$QFS_PACKAGE.rosinstall > /tmp/$QFS_PACKAGE.rosinstall
wstool merge -t src /tmp/$QFS_PACKAGE.rosinstall

Downloading & Updating the Workspace

Once you are happy with the added packages, we update and rebuild the workspace:

cd ~/catkin_ws/
wstool update -t src
catkin_make

Finally, if you have added any rqt packages that do not show up in the plugin list, you may need start rqt once with this command instead:

rqt --force-discover

With the flight stack set up, you should check out some of the links in the package listing for more information. If you are here for the first time, or just want to try out a demonstration, it is recommended that you take a look at one of the simulator packages.

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Note: The steps that you have completed will have downloaded and updated the packages to their latest versions, and also compiled the packages. You will not have to repeat these steps when looking at the individual packages, and can simply jump straight to the "how to run" examples.

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