ROS on Freerunner

Jan Tuennermann tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de
Tue Apr 19 04:55:45 EDT 2011


I think ROS would not be a benefit for the OpenMoko as a phone, it makes 
it very attractive for application in robotics or other controlling 
applications.

The minimal processing power is a problem when compiling. Compiling the 
base system took a whole night and when ever I compile a new ROS 
package, ROS will automatically compile any packages the wanted want 
depends on and make the phone unusable for hours while compiling. I 
think I need to look into cross-compiling.

I also think there are some optimizations on the ROS side possible. For 
example, there is a lot of logging going on. I think it can be turned 
off...

A slim linux would be good, but it must be ensured that all the base 
dependencies can be satisfied (boots, OpenCV, etc.). Also one of the 
advantages of ROS is, that there are thousands of communities packages 
available that have individual dependencies.  For example, the 
gpsd_pacakges I tried to install will tell the rosmake tool that it 
depends on gpsd and (on debian) it will automatically you apt-get to 
pull and install the package. (However, this did not work for unknown 
reasons on the QtMoko installation, which I had switched to debian 
squeeze source).
I also needed to override the OS identifcation with an environment 
variable 'export ROS_OS_OVERRIDE=debian:squeeze', because QtMoko was 
providing some other identification.

So I think it should use the debian repos, to make as many packages 
available as possible.

A good thing would be a pre-compiled version already installed properly 
in the file system ready to copy on SD, boot and go! All the phone 
functionality could be stripped out, just starting a blank Xserver where 
graphical ROS-nodes can show there widgets. I would have one phone SD 
and one robot SD card then, and never again the phone would ring while 
it drives around on the robot ;)

Jan



Am 19.04.2011 10:27, schrieb RANJAN:
> Will be really an awesome and exciting idea..But having to port it 
> properly and use the minimal processing power on FR and to decide 
> whether one should design a minimal linux specifically to support ROS 
> etc would be some key points to begin with..
>
> Sincerely
> Ranjan
>
> On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 1:10 AM, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller 
> <hns at goldelico.com <mailto:hns at goldelico.com>> wrote:
>
>     I think this can also be of interest to the Openmoko community.
>
>
>     Am 19.04.2011 um 09:46 schrieb Jan Tuennermann:
>
>>     Ron,
>>
>>     thanks for forwarding.  ROS (Robot Operating System) is a kind of
>>     meta operating system. It does not really handle OS functions,
>>     also it is not real time. It's a great concept that boosts
>>     development in the robotic area. It is based on a publisher /
>>     subscriber paradigm; you implement your software as node which
>>     will publish and receive messages. For example, if you wrap a
>>     face detection algorithm or something in a ROS-node, it would
>>     subscribe to image messages and probably publish a custom message
>>     with coordinates of a face, or maybe another image with the face
>>     marked. This node can now receive images from any node that
>>     publishes images. For example, a webcam-node. Or a node that
>>     loads test-data from hard drive or maybe from a 3D-Simulator.
>>     Also, there are a lot of components that already come with ROS.
>>     So if we wanted to display the image with the face marked in it,
>>     we would just need to make an image_view node (comes with ROS) to
>>     subscribe our images. More complex components can display 3D
>>     point-clouds (for example from a laser range finder), etc.  ROS
>>     nodes register with a master and they don't need to be on the
>>     same machine, as they can communicate over network.
>>
>>     Right now I'm trying to get a gpsd_client node to run on the
>>     OpenMoko. On a remote PC a gpsd_viewer node will run, subscribing
>>     gpsFix messages which it will use to display the Moko's location
>>     in a map from the OpenStreetMap project. I'm planning to connect
>>     the Moko to a micro- controler which then controls a RC-car. I
>>     tested this before, so I'm optimistic that I will get it working.
>>     When it works I might add a X-Box kinnect, which is already
>>     supported by ROS to capture 2D and 3D visual information to
>>     enable the RC-car for autonomous driving.
>>
>>     best regards,
>>     Jan
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>     Am 19.04.2011 01:14, schrieb Ron K. Jeffries:
>>>     sending this item along seen on the ROS list.
>>>
>>>     Not sure if OpenMoko folks have already seen it.
>>>
>>>     A future board similar to SIE nee SAKC would
>>>     benefit from a real time OS. This one [ROS]
>>>     appears to be open and free and widely supported.
>>>
>>>     ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>>     From: Jan Tuennermann <tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de
>>>     <mailto:tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de>>
>>>     To: ros-users at code.ros.org <mailto:ros-users at code.ros.org>
>>>     Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:28:02 +0200
>>>     Subject: [ros-users] ROS running on Neo Freerunner
>>>     Hi everyone,
>>>
>>>     I spent some time on the weekend to get ROS diamondback running
>>>     on the OpenMoko smart phone Neo Freerunner. With it's WiFi,
>>>      GPS, Accelerometers and Linux capabilities it might be an
>>>     alternative for robot projects where a netbook is to large or to
>>>     heavy.
>>>
>>>     I put an installation guide here: http://www.ros.org/wiki/freerunner
>>>
>>>     I was not really sure where to put it, as it is not really a
>>>     tutorial and also no stack description. So if the place is
>>>     inappropriate, it would be nice if someone could move it.
>>>
>>>     Jan
>>>
>>>     ---
>>>     Ron K. Jeffries
>>>     http://ronkjeffries.pen.io <http://ronkjeffries.pen.io/>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>     -- 
>>       M.Sc. Jan  T U E N N E R M A N N   _________________________________
>>
>>                                                    University of Paderborn
>>
>>     					  Faculty of Computer Science
>>                                     Electrical Engineering and Mathematics
>>                                                                    GET Lab
>>
>>       phone: +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 2219                         Pohlweg 47-49
>>       fax:   +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 3238                     D-33098 Paderborn
>>
>>     					 Faculty of Cultural Sciences
>>     					     Department of Psychology
>>     							       PsyLab
>>
>>       phone: +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 2907                  Warburger Straße 100
>>       fax:   +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 3528			    D-33098 Paderborn
>>
>>       email:tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de  <mailto:tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de>
>>            
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>
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>


-- 
  M.Sc. Jan  T U E N N E R M A N N   _________________________________

                                               University of Paderborn

					  Faculty of Computer Science
                                Electrical Engineering and Mathematics
                                                               GET Lab

  phone: +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 2219                         Pohlweg 47-49
  fax:   +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 3238                     D-33098 Paderborn

					 Faculty of Cultural Sciences
					     Department of Psychology
							       PsyLab

  phone: +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 2907                  Warburger Straße 100
  fax:   +49/ (0)5251/ 60 - 3528			    D-33098 Paderborn

  email: tuennermann at get.uni-paderborn.de

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