turtlebot_network_gazebo

A specialized ROS package for simulating TurtleBot3 robots within the Gazebo environment, specifically tailored for researching network-constrained robotics. This repository allows users to test robot behavior under various communication scenarios, such as Edge/Cloud computing latencies and packet loss.

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📋 Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Usage
• Repository Structure
• Configuration

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Features

• Custom Gazebo Worlds: Pre-configured environments optimized for network testing.
• TurtleBot3 Integration: Native support for Burger, Waffle, and Waffle Pi models.
• Network Emulation: Tools to simulate real-world communication constraints (latency, jitter, and packet drop).
• Modular Launch Files: Easily toggle between local control and simulated remote/edge control architectures.

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Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your Ubuntu system (Standard: Ubuntu 20.04 + ROS Noetic):

• ROS Noetic (Desktop-Full recommended)
• Gazebo 11
• TurtleBot3 Dependencies:

  sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-turtlebot3-msgs
  sudo apt-get install ros-noetic-turtlebot3-simulations

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Installation

1. Navigate to your catkin workspace src folder:

   cd ~/catkin_ws/src

2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/NazishT/turtlebot_network_gazebo.git

3. Install dependencies using rosdep:

   cd ~/catkin_ws
   rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y

4. Build and source:

   catkin_make
   source devel/setup.bash

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Usage

1. Set the Robot Model

Choose your TurtleBot3 model (default is burger):

export TURTLEBOT3_MODEL=burger

2. Launch the Simulation

To bring up the Gazebo world with the networked TurtleBot:

roslaunch turtlebot_network_gazebo turtlebot_world.launch

3. Running Network Scripts

If you are testing specific communication delays, run the provided scripts:

rosrun turtlebot_network_gazebo network_delay_node.py

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Repository Structure

turtlebot_network_gazebo/
├── launch/             # ROS launch files for simulation and nodes
├── models/             # URDF and SDF models for TurtleBot and environment
├── scripts/            # Python scripts for network emulation and control
├── src/                # C++ source files for performance-heavy tasks
├── worlds/             # Gazebo .world files
├── CMakeLists.txt      # Build instructions
└── package.xml         # Package dependencies and metadata

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Configuration

You can adjust the simulated network parameters by editing the configuration files or passing arguments during launch.

Note: If simulating high-latency environments, ensure your controller timeout parameters are adjusted to prevent the robot from entering a safety-stop state.

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📧 Contact

Nazish Tahir - GitHub Profile
Project Link: https://github.com/NazishT/turtlebot_network_gazebo