Autobot#

What you will need

What you will get

  • An Autobot ready for the localization system and AIDO evaluations

In this section, the user will modify a standard Duckiebot for Autolab operations.

Note

The term tag(s) refers to AprilTag(s).

Reflash SD cards for unified naming#

If the Duckiebot is calibrated, back up the camera and kinematics calibration files.

Attention

Use these conventional Autobot hostnames to flash the SD card:

  • autobotXX (where [XX] are fixed 2 digits starting from 01)

Restore the calibration files (if applicable).

Hardware modification#

An AprilTag will be mounted on top of the Autobot for localization.

  • Download the AprilTags for Autobots file, select the range of tags needed (corresponding to the hostnames setup when flashing SD cards) and print the relevant pages.

  • Along the ruler lines on edges of the pages, cut out each tag.

  • Apply configuration-wise changes and alignment, fix the tag in place.

DB21#

_images/autobots_db21m.jpg

Fig. 46 DB21 Autobot#

As shown, align the top of the tag with the bottom of fan screws, trim the dangling white paper.

DB19#

Prepare the materials:

  • 4 standoffs M3 x 50mm, for example from here

  • 8 screws M3 * 8mm

  • laser cut top plate

_images/autobots_db19-materials.jpg

Fig. 47 Material needed for modifying DB19#

Place the tag in the slot on the top plate:

_images/autobots_db19-at-placement.jpg

Fig. 48 Placement of tag#

Install the standoffs as shown:

_images/autobots_db19.jpg

Fig. 49 DB19 Autobot#

Software setup#

This setup is the same for all hardware configurations.

Select “Settings” pane#

_images/autobots_dashboard-settings.png

Fig. 51 Dashboard Settings#

Fill in the configs for “Autolab”#

_images/autobots_dashboard-autolab-config.png

Fig. 52 Dashboard Autolab Config#

The Map name field requires a string, e.g. ETH_large_loop. It’s the name of the map of the Duckietown created and merged to the duckietown/duckeitown-world Github repository.

The Tag id field requires 3 digit integers, e.g. 403. With the provided AprilTags, the Tag ids correspond to Autobot hostnames in the following way:

  • autobot01 - Tag id 400

  • autobot02 - Tag id 401

  • autobot03 - Tag id 402

  • …

Click Save and Apply and refresh the page. The user inputs should appear in the fields now.

Where do the configs go?

These steps update the configurations stored in /data/config/autolab/tag_id and /data/config/autolab/map_name files on the Autobot, which are later used.

They are equivalent to connecting through ssh and changing the files directly on the Autobot.