drones-workshop

Automated Drone Simulation Setup for Ubuntu 20.04 (with/without WSL)

This guide will help you set up a complete simulation environment for drones using PX4, Ardupilot, Gazebo, MAVROS, QGroundControl, and IQ Sim with minimal human intervention.

Requirements

1. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or Windows with WSL.
2. An internet connection for downloading required packages.

Software Overview

• PX4: A popular open-source flight control software for drones.
• Ardupilot: A versatile open-source autopilot system supporting many vehicle types.
• Gazebo: A 3D robotics simulator that integrates with PX4 and Ardupilot for SITL.
• MAVROS: A ROS package that serves as a communication layer between ROS and MAVLink-compatible autopilots.
• QGroundControl: A ground control station for drone operations.
• IQ Sim: A simulation environment used with PX4 and Ardupilot to simulate different flight scenarios.

Steps to Run the Setup Script

Step 0. (Optional for WSL)

Set the default version to WSL 2 and install Ubuntu 20.04:

wsl --set-default-version 2
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-20.04

Step 1. Clone the Repository

First, clone the repository to get access to the setup script:

git clone https://github.com/Shival-Gupta/drones-workshop.git
cd drones-workshop

Step 2. Run the setup.sh Script

The setup.sh script automates the installation and setup process for ROS, PX4, Ardupilot, Gazebo, MAVROS, and IQ Sim.

Make the script executable and run it:

chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh

Options

• Default Installation: ./setup.sh
• Uninstall Packages: ./setup.sh --uninstall
• Reinstall Packages: ./setup.sh --reinstall
• Force Install: ./setup.sh --force-install
• Full Installation: ./setup.sh --full-installation
• WSL Configuration: ./setup.sh --wsl

Step 3. Run the Verification Script

After installation, it’s recommended to verify that everything is set up correctly:

chmod +x verify.sh
./verify.sh

Step 4. Launch PX4 SITL with Gazebo

After the installation, you can run PX4 SITL (Software In The Loop) with Gazebo:

cd ~/PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl_default gazebo

Step 5. Launch Ardupilot SITL with Gazebo

To run Ardupilot with Gazebo:

1. Launch Gazebo with the Ardupilot-Gazebo plugin:

   gazebo --verbose ~/ardupilot_gazebo/worlds/iris_arducopter_runway.world
   
   

2. In another terminal, launch Ardupilot SITL:

   cd ~/ardupilot/ArduCopter
   sim_vehicle.py -v ArduCopter -f gazebo-iris --console
   
   

Step 6. Running MAVROS and IQ Sim

To launch IQ Sim and get telemetry data from the drone:

1. In one terminal, launch the runway simulation:

   roslaunch iq_sim runway.launch
      
   

2. In another terminal, run Ardupilot SITL:

   cd ~
   ./startsitl.sh
   
   

3. Open QGroundControl:

   ./QGroundControl.AppImage
   
   

Step 7. Using MAVROS and Checking Telemetry Data

To monitor telemetry data:

1. Start MAVROS:

   roslaunch iq_sim apm.launch
   
   

2. View telemetry data from FCU:

   rostopic echo /mavros/global_position/local
   
   

3. Interact with MAVProxy to control the drone:

   mode guided
   arm throttle
   takeoff 10
   
   

Troubleshooting

• If Gazebo doesn’t launch or fails to connect with the simulation, ensure you have installed the Gazebo 11 version using the setup.sh script.
• Verify environment variables are set correctly by running:

  source ~/.bashrc
    
  

• Check the verification log (verify.log) for details about your installation status.

Additional Information

• PX4 Autopilot: PX4 Official Site
• ArduPilot: ArduPilot Official Site
• QGroundControl: QGroundControl Download
• MAVROS: MAVROS Wiki
• ROS in WSL2: YouTube Tutorial