General Information

Algorithm utilizes the MRPT mrpt-graphslam library to execute single, multi-robot graphSLAM using information from odometry and LaserScan ROS topics.

mrpt_graphslam_2d is heavily based on the native MRPT graphslam-engine application. Furthermore the command-line arguments offered by the latter can be provided by the user as parameters in the ROS Parameter Server. See the provided roslaunch files for examples of this. Also see the API of mrpt_graphslam_2d available here

Additional information:

• mrpt-graphslam library
• graphslam-engine application page
• graphslam-engine documentation

Single robot algorithm

Real-Time experiment - short loop

• A sample rosbag is included in the rosbags/demo_short_loop directory. To run this just launch the sr_graphslam_demo.launch file:

  roslaunch mrpt_graphslam_2d sr_graphslam_demo.launch start_rviz:=True

• Demo rosbag contains Laser Scan measurements (and odometry which is not usuable in the algorithm due to the topic type)

Real-Time experiment - ground-truth data included

• A real-time experiment using a KUKA youbot and having a rough ground-truth estimate path is available here. Ground-Truth estimation is provided using 2 ps3 cameras placed on the room ceiling. The cameras using the ar_sys ROS package are tracking Aruco markers that act as the workspace origin (static marker) and as the robot executing SLAM (moving marker) respectively. To run this demo, simply download the entire folder, place it directly under the rosbags directory of the mrpt_graphslam_2d package and run the sr_graphslam_demo_gt.launch file.

  roslaunch mrpt_graphslam_2d sr_graphslam_demo_gt.launch

• One can also tinker with the aforementioned launchfile to enable/disable the different visualization features, use another decider/optimizer class, or modify the .ini file to change the algorithm behavior.

• Robot movement starts after ~60’’. Due to different timestamps in the laserscans, odometry topics the algorithm feedback is lagging a bit compared to the ground-truth visualization

• sr_graphslam_demo_gt file uses the pass_all_args XML directive which is only available starting from the ROS Jade distribution. If you have an older one, just replace this with all the args in that file exclusively. For an example on how to do this, see the sr_graphslam_demo.launch file

• Rosbag was recorded in the Mechanical Engineering School of the National Technical University of Athens

Multi-robot algorithm

Multi-robot support is provided via the csl_mr_slam package suite as well as the use of multimaster_fkie packages utilized for communication across the various ROS agents.

Multi-robot real-time experiments - rosbag

A rosbag collected from real-robots can be found in the following link (more rosbags to be added in the MRPT-2.0 branch):

• multi_robot_graphSLAM_short

To run a demo using one of the corresponding rosbags download that directory, place it directly under the rosbags directory of the mrpt_graphslam_2d package and run the run_mr_graphslam_demo.sh script of the csl_robots_gazebo package. The latter script (as is standard with the nodes of the csl_robots_gazebo package reads its configuration parameters off the shell environment at hand and adjusts its behavior accordingly. As an examaple users can use the following command for running a multi-robot demo.

# see the script for configuration variables
rosrun csl_robots_gazebo run_mr_graphslam_demo.sh

Warning

• For this to work, you need to have the csl_mr_slam package suite (as well as the packages that the latter depends on) in your catkin workspace.

• When executing multi-robot graphSLAM using either Gazebo (via the csl_robots_gazebo package or using measurements from the prerecorded rosbags, you have to, a priori, generate the necessary rviz files from the template files found in $(rospack find mrpt_graphslam_2d)/rviz/templates. To do that you have to run the $(rospack find mrpt_graphslam_2d)/nodes/rename_rviz_topics.py script which changes the necessary topic names based on the running computer’s hostname. See documentation of the latter script for more on its usage.

Multi-robot simulations in Gazebo - csl_mr_slam

Multi-robot simulations are supported in the Gazebo Simulator via the csl_hw_setup ROS package. An example of running such a simulation is given below.

A complete example of executing multi-robot graphSLAM in the Gazebo simulation environment is presented in the following video:

Real-time multi-robot experiments

As with its single-robot variant, support for running the algorithm in a real-time multi-robot setup is provided via the csl_mr_slam/csl_hw_setup package.

An example of executing real-time multi-robot graphSLAM is given here.

Changelog for package mrpt_graphslam_2d

0.1.19 (2024-09-18)

• Fix cmake target creation
• Workaround for missing TBB::tbb target in Noetic
• cmake: fix case and whitespaces
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.18 (2024-09-05)

• Port to new 'mrpt_lib*' packages
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.17 (2024-06-05)

• Update to fix builds against mrpt>=2.13.0
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.16 (2024-03-25)

0.1.15 (2023-08-02)

• Fix build errors and warnings with latest mrpt2 versions (Closes: #71)
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.14 (2023-04-12)

• 0.1.13
• fix version
• changelog
• Fix build against last mrpt 2.7.x
• chagelogs
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco Claraco, Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.11 (2022-06-24)

• Ported to tf2 and mrpt::ros1bridge
• Fix build with mrpt2
• Update multimaster_msgs_fkie to fkie_ prefix
• Merge branch 'master' of <ssh://github.com/mrpt-ros-pkg/mrpt_slam>
• Update URLs to https
• Update build dep to mrpt2
• Merge pull request #65 from Pillowline/patch-1 setting trajectory publishers to latched
• setting trajectory publishers to latched So you can obtain data when running mrpt_graphslam with a bagfile, even after the playback has finished.
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco, Pillowline

0.1.10 (2019-10-05)

• fix build against current mrpt2
• fix build against mrpt2
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco Claraco, Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco

0.1.9 (2019-04-14)

• Fix build against MRPT 1.9.9
• Switch header guards to pragma once
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco, Julian Lopez Velasquez, Vladislav Tananaev

0.1.8 (2018-09-21)

• Make catkin_lint clean
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco Claraco

0.1.7 (2018-09-20)

• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Fix compilation warnings
• Remove installation of the demo directory from mrpt_graphslam_2d. It doesn't exist, so causes problems at the last stage of cmake. Signed-off-by: Chris Lalancette <<clalancette@openrobotics.org>>
• Contributors: Chris Lalancette, Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco, Nikos Koukis

0.1.6 (2018-06-14)

• Fixed compilation with MRPT 1.5
• Merge pull request #41 from MaxGsomGsom/master Fixed build with mrpt 2.0
• Fixed indents
• Fixed build with mrpt 2.0
• partial fix build w mrpt 2.0
• fix build in mrpt 2.0
• fix build; add optimized builds (-O3)
• fix build against mrpt 1.5 series
• Merge pull request #32 from bergercookie/master Correct prev_nodes_ICP error
• Correct prev_nodes_ICP member var
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add link to GitPitch slideshow
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Validate user args in rename_rviz_topics.py
• use consistent cmake conventions for c++14
• all but mrpt_graphslam_2d compiling against mrpt2.0
• porting to mrpt2
• fix #28, compiling all nodes using -std=c++14
• CMake finds MRPT >=1.5 in branch master
• Merge pull request #23 from bergercookie/graphslam-devel mrpt_graphslam_2d:Add to ini config files, instructions
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Fix broken links in README
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Use template files and python script to generate rviz files for rosbag, gazebo runs
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Add to the instructions for running graphSLAM from rosbags
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Update graphslam_real_2.rviz file
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Tweak config for real-time usage
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Have .ini file specifically for gazebo simulations
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:CGraphSlamEngine_MR to have its own struct for config variables
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Finish configuration for mr-slam with rosbags
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Add initial setup and instructions for running mr-slam from rosbags
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Correct sr_graphslam_demo_gt execution
• mrpt-graphslam:Modify parameters of mr-slam .ini file
• mrpt_graphslam:Add rviz file for 4 agents
• mrpt-graphslam:Remove deprecated .ini argument
• mrpt-graphslam_2d:Add using directives when needed
• Merge pull request #22 from bergercookie/graphslam-devel Add support for 2D multi-robot SLAM
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Comply to MRPT changes
• Comply to new MRPT_LOG_*_STREAM format
• Update rviz files, launchfiles
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Correct error in visualization of robot orientation in rviz
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Publish current robot_position to topic
• Update rviz file
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Visualize compressed versions of images
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Update documentation
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add local .gitignore
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Skip first unecessary seconds of demo_short_loop rosbag
• Fix bug when running with more than 2 agents Bug occurred due to a dangling reference after rewriting the contents of a vector
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Successful mr-graphslam real-time experiment
• Add configuration file for real-time mr-graphSLAM
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Have topic_namespace of agent be the same as its name
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add rest of nodes in batches Knowing the transformation from own graph to neighbor's graph I integrate into own map the rest of the received nodes in batches of X nodes (default=4)
• Change names of files and classes _CM ->_MR Multi-robot SLAM is no longer (heavily) based on Condensed Measurements, thus the corresponding files/classes are named appropriately. MR: Multi-robot
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Finish first working version of mr-graphSLAM
• mrpt-graphslam: Add more rviz files for gazebo Commit also temporarily deals with the segfault when running with more than 2 robots
• Finish first working version of map_merger node map_merger node subscribes to all the published maps and trajectories, fetches the results and upon user request computes an appropriate occupancy-grid map merging and joins all available maps and robot trajectories
• Start work on map_merger script
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Class app to properly inherit from CGraphSlamHandler Add to mr-graphSLAM execution, various bug fixes Robot agents can now communicate LaserScans, modified node lists as well as condensed-measurements maps and upon successful matching integrate local map of other agent into own map.
• mrpt-graphslam-2d: Implement mr-graphSLAM communication system and structs Commit adds the necessary structures for basic communication of nodes, current LaserScan in a multi-robot graphSLAM application. Each graphSLAM agent publishes the last X nodes (node ID + pose) and its latest registered laser scan into corresponding topics under its own namespace. Furthermore each agent reads the aforementioned stats off the topics of all other agents that are currently running in the experiment. P.S. In the current implementation, each graphSLAM agent keeps a TNeighborAgentProps instance structure for each one of its found neighbors (not including self).
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add copyright string
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add to multi-robot CGraphSlamEngine
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Implement conversion methods TSlamAgent <=> RosMaster
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Have two different executables for sr, mr slam mrpt_graphslam_2d_node => single-robot graphSLAM mrpt_graphslam_2d_cm_node => multi-robot graphSLAM based on Condensed Measurements
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Name classes, files in a consistent manner
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add ROS-specific, CondensedMeasurements-specific classes To facilitate polymorphism, task delegation, we implement class templates specific to the MR-graphSLAM strategy that inherit from mrpt-graphslam lib class templates
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add mr related class and executable
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add graphSLAM statistics topic -> feedback/graphslam_stats
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Uncomment actual code snippet in main executable
• mrpt-graphslam-2d: Depend on multimaster_fkie pkg
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add draft version of CConnectionManager class CConnectionManager should be responsible for handling the inter-robot communication in an mr-slam setup. it basically provides a wrapper around the Multimaster package for finding other ROS masters in the same network over multicast
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Abide to changes in mrpt-graphslam API
• mrpt-graphslam-2d: Add specialized versions of rviz files for Gazebo sim
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Change script names
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add boilerplate code for multi-robot decider/optimizer classes. Multi-robot case is going to be implemented on the ROS side. Current commit adds code for the new multi-robot deciders/optimizer classes as well as verifying that the classes that are inputted by the user actually exist.
• Edit README.md file
• fix project name
• Define C++11 avoiding direct manipulation of CXX_FLAGS
• catkin_lint error fixes
• Contributors: Jose Luis Blanco, Jose Luis Blanco Claraco, Jose Luis Blanco-Claraco, Magnus Gärtner, Max Kuzmin, Nikos Koukis

0.1.5 (2016-11-18)

• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Correct syntax in README file
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Complete the demo rviz, launch files Finish setting up the demos-related files. Setup a hierarchy of launchfiles with each each one delegating the corresponding tasks to the next one with the sr_graphslam.launch as the final link in this chain. This should make up for an easier maintenance of the whole setup later on.
• Renamed demo bagfile
• Be consistent with rviz, launchfile names
• Readd demo_short_loop bag
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add demo_gt launchfile for launching demo rosbag
• Skip mrpt_graphslam_2d compilation if MRPT version < 1.5.0
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add rviz file for complete single-robot SLAM experiment

• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Use tf2 for all tf transformations. Commit also includes the following: - Introduction of the "anchor node", that is the frame that (a specific) robot trajectory starts from, which should also differ from the world frame in a multi-robot setup. - Odometry input messages are expected to be of type nav_msgs::Odometry, instead of the custom msg Pose2DStamped used so far

• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Make changes to graphslam.launch file
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add to the launchfiles
• Contributors: Nikos Koukis

0.1.4 (2016-11-06)

• Add install targets to CMake.
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Init MR-SLAM configuration Commit adds boilerplate code for: - Launchfile with nested topic and TF groups for manipulating more robotic agents in a consistent manner
  • New .rviz file for MR-SLAM
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: queue_size as a private member
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Cleanup CMakeLists file, add catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS
• Add demo workspace picture
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Make changes to README instructions and app launchfiles
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Initialize demo folder, Modify README
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Add to the feedback results
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Initialize feedback topics Provide feedback information that can be accessed via ROS Topics. These utilize the CGraphslamEngine API and include the following:
  • Latest robot pose
  • Estimated path trajectory
• mprt_graphslam_2d: Use m_ prefix for class private vars
• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Save result files after execution
• Add README file.
• mrpt_graphslam_2d:Add launchfile, configfile

• mrpt_graphslam_2d: Initialize ROS wrapper for mrpt-graphslam Commit includes boilerplate code for running graphSLAM using the mrpt-graphslam library. The following should be noted: - mrpt_graphslam_2d is heavily based on the native MRPT graphslam-engine_app application. - graphslam-engine_app command line arguments correspond to parameters in the /graphslam_engine namespace of the ROS parameter server and can be set either by an external launchfile or by dirctly by the user.

• Contributors: Logrus, Nikos Koukis

0.1.3 (2016-09-27)

0.1.2 (2016-09-24)

0.1.1 (2016-08-22)