Implementing multi-TurtleBot navigation in a real-world environment #1123
Description
Operating System:
Ubuntu 22.04
ROS version :
Humble
Turtlebot3 Model:
Burger
Description
Hello,
I am trying to set up multi-robot navigation for several physical TurtleBot3s from a single remote PC, following the Load Multiple TurtleBot3s section of the TurtleBot3 E-Manual.
As a first step, I am attempting to get navigation working on a single robot with a namespace applied.
I launched the robot's bringup in a real-world environment with a namespace, as per the e-manual: $ ros2 launch turtlebot3_bringup robot.launch.py namespace:=tb3_1
I then modified the turtlebot3_navigation2 launch file to apply this namespace to the navigation stack as well.
Here is my modified navigation launch file:
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
from ament_index_python.packages import get_package_share_directory
from launch import LaunchDescription
from launch.actions import DeclareLaunchArgument, IncludeLaunchDescription
from launch.launch_description_sources import PythonLaunchDescriptionSource
from launch.substitutions import LaunchConfiguration
from launch_ros.actions import Node
TURTLEBOT3_MODEL = os.environ['TURTLEBOT3_MODEL']
ROS_DISTRO = os.environ.get('ROS_DISTRO')
def generate_launch_description():
namespace = LaunchConfiguration('namespace', default='TB3_1')
use_sim_time = LaunchConfiguration('use_sim_time', default='false')
map_dir = LaunchConfiguration(
'map',
default=os.path.join(
get_package_share_directory('turtlebot3_navigation2'),
'map', 'map.yaml'))
param_file_name = 'burger_tb3_1.yaml'
param_dir = LaunchConfiguration(
'params_file',
default=os.path.join(
get_package_share_directory('turtlebot3_navigation2'),
'param',
param_file_name))
nav2_launch_file_dir = os.path.join(get_package_share_directory('nav2_bringup'), 'launch')
rviz_config_file = LaunchConfiguration(
'rviz_config_file',
default=os.path.join(
get_package_share_directory('turtlebot3_navigation2'),
'rviz', 'nav2_ns_view.rviz')
)
return LaunchDescription([
DeclareLaunchArgument('namespace', default_value=namespace, description='Robot namespace'),
DeclareLaunchArgument('map', default_value=map_dir, description='Full path to map file to load'),
DeclareLaunchArgument('params_file', default_value=param_dir, description='Full path to param file to load'),
DeclareLaunchArgument('use_sim_time', default_value='false', description='Use simulation clock if true'),
DeclareLaunchArgument('rviz_config_file', default_value=rviz_config_file, description='RViz config'),
IncludeLaunchDescription(
PythonLaunchDescriptionSource([nav2_launch_file_dir, '/bringup_launch.py']),
launch_arguments={
'namespace': namespace,
'use_namespace': 'True',
'map': map_dir,
'use_sim_time': use_sim_time,
'params_file': param_dir
}.items(),
),
IncludeLaunchDescription(
PythonLaunchDescriptionSource(
os.path.join(nav2_launch_file_dir, 'rviz_launch.py')),
launch_arguments={
'use_sim_time': use_sim_time,
'namespace': namespace,
'use_namespace': 'False',
'rviz_config': rviz_config_file,
'log_level': 'warn'
}.items(),
),
])
In this launch file, I added 'namespace': namespace and 'use_namespace': 'True' to the bringup_launch.py inclusion.
I also tried adding 'namespace': namespace and 'use_namespace': 'True' to the rviz_launch.py inclusion. However, when use_namespace was True for RViz, no frames or other data would appear. Setting it to 'use_namespace': 'False' (as shown in the code above) makes the frames appear.
- rviz_launch.pyuse_namespace’: 'True'
- rviz_launch.pyuse_namespace’: 'False'
The Problem
With this setup (use_namespace: 'False' for RViz), the frames appear, but I am facing several critical problems:
Costmap Issue: The local and global costmaps are not subscribing to the scan topic.
AMCL Issue: Even after publishing an initial pose (to /TB3_1/initialpose with frame_id: 'TB3_1/map'), AMCL does not seem to initialize. The map -> odom transform is never published, breaking the TF tree.
Here is my rqt_graph. You can see that amcl, local_costmap, and global_costmap are not connected to the /scan topic (which is correctly namespaced to /TB3_1/scan).
- rqt_graph
My terminal log confirms the TF issue, showing Timed out waiting for transform from TB3_1/base_link to TB3_1/odom and AMCL Message Filter dropping message errors.
rviz2-2] [ERROR] [1760942859.961255804] [rviz2]: Vertex Program:rviz/glsl120/indexed_8bit_image.vert Fragment Program:rviz/glsl120/indexed_8bit_image.frag GLSL link result :
[rviz2-2] active samplers with a different type refer to the same texture image unit
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.978919813] [TB3_1.lifecycle_manager_navigation]: Configuring waypoint_follower
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.979021415] [TB3_1.waypoint_follower]: Configuring
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.986462934] [TB3_1.waypoint_follower]: Created waypoint_task_executor : wait_at_waypoint of type nav2_waypoint_follower::WaitAtWaypoint
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.987226956] [TB3_1.lifecycle_manager_navigation]: Configuring velocity_smoother
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.987334038] [TB3_1.velocity_smoother]: Configuring velocity smoother
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.990065525] [TB3_1.lifecycle_manager_navigation]: Activating controller_server
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.990172578] [TB3_1.controller_server]: Activating
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.990201622] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Activating
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.990215188] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Checking transform
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942859.990235126] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Timed out waiting for transform from TB3_1/base_link to TB3_1/odom to become available, tf error: Invalid frame ID "TB3_1/odom" passed to canTransform argument target_frame - frame does not exist
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942860.490291427] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Timed out waiting for transform from TB3_1/base_link to TB3_1/odom to become available, tf error: Invalid frame ID "TB3_1/odom" passed to canTransform argument target_frame - frame does not exist
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942860.990324404] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Timed out waiting for transform from TB3_1/base_link to TB3_1/odom to become available, tf error: Invalid frame ID "TB3_1/odom" passed to canTransform argument target_frame - frame does not exist
...
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.203844537] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.274 for reason 'the timestamp on the message is earlier than all the data in the transform cache'
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.302896254] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.374 for reason 'the timestamp on the message is earlier than all the data in the transform cache'
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.400622078] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.474 for reason 'discarding message because the queue is full'
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.490295830] [TB3_1.local_costmap.local_costmap]: Timed out waiting for transform from TB3_1/base_link to TB3_1/odom to become available, tf error: Invalid frame ID "TB3_1/odom" passed to canTransform argument target_frame - frame does not exist
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.506691594] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.574 for reason 'discarding message because the queue is full'
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.610002793] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.684 for reason 'the timestamp on the message is earlier than all the data in the transform cache'
[component_container_isolated-1] [INFO] [1760942875.706476423] [TB3_1.amcl]: Message Filter dropping message: frame 'TB3_1/base_scan' at time 1760942874.784 for reason 'the timestamp on the message is earlier than all the data in the transform cache'
My Attempted Solution (Modifying Parameters)
I suspected the problem was in the Nav2 parameters .yaml file (burger_tb3_1.yaml). I manually prepended the namespace TB3_1/ to all frame_id parameters in amcl, bt_navigator, local_costmap, global_costmap, and map_server.
However, I noticed that amcl still has scan_topic: scan and the costmaps have topic: /scan. This might be the problem, but I'm not sure what they should be.
Here is my full burger_tb3_1.yaml file:
amcl:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
alpha1: 0.2
alpha2: 0.2
alpha3: 0.2
alpha4: 0.2
alpha5: 0.2
base_frame_id: "TB3_1/base_footprint"
beam_skip_distance: 0.5
beam_skip_error_threshold: 0.9
beam_skip_threshold: 0.3
do_beamskip: false
global_frame_id: "TB3_1/map"
lambda_short: 0.1
laser_likelihood_max_dist: 2.0
laser_max_range: 100.0
laser_min_range: -1.0
laser_model_type: "likelihood_field"
max_beams: 60
max_particles: 2000
min_particles: 500
odom_frame_id: "TB3_1/odom"
pf_err: 0.05
pf_z: 0.99
recovery_alpha_fast: 0.0
recovery_alpha_slow: 0.0
resample_interval: 1
robot_model_type: "nav2_amcl::DifferentialMotionModel"
save_pose_rate: 0.5
sigma_hit: 0.2
tf_broadcast: true
transform_tolerance: 1.0
update_min_a: 0.2
update_min_d: 0.25
z_hit: 0.5
z_max: 0.05
z_rand: 0.5
z_short: 0.05
scan_topic: scan
amcl_map_client:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
amcl_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
bt_navigator:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
global_frame: TB3_1/map
robot_base_frame: TB3_1/base_link
odom_topic: /TB3_1/odom
default_bt_xml_filename: "navigate_w_replanning_and_recovery.xml"
bt_loop_duration: 10
default_server_timeout: 20
enable_groot_monitoring: True
groot_zmq_publisher_port: 1666
groot_zmq_server_port: 1667
plugin_lib_names:
- nav2_compute_path_to_pose_action_bt_node
- nav2_compute_path_through_poses_action_bt_node
- nav2_follow_path_action_bt_node
- nav2_back_up_action_bt_node
- nav2_spin_action_bt_node
- nav2_wait_action_bt_node
- nav2_clear_costmap_service_bt_node
- nav2_is_stuck_condition_bt_node
- nav2_goal_reached_condition_bt_node
- nav2_goal_updated_condition_bt_node
- nav2_initial_pose_received_condition_bt_node
- nav2_reinitialize_global_localization_service_bt_node
- nav2_rate_controller_bt_node
- nav2_distance_controller_bt_node
- nav2_speed_controller_bt_node
- nav2_truncate_path_action_bt_node
- nav2_goal_updater_node_bt_node
- nav2_recovery_node_bt_node
- nav2_pipeline_sequence_bt_node
- nav2_round_robin_node_bt_node
- nav2_transform_available_condition_bt_node
- nav2_time_expired_condition_bt_node
- nav2_distance_traveled_condition_bt_node
- nav2_single_trigger_bt_node
- nav2_is_battery_low_condition_bt_node
- nav2_navigate_through_poses_action_bt_node
- nav2_navigate_to_pose_action_bt_node
- nav2_remove_passed_goals_action_bt_node
- nav2_planner_selector_bt_node
- nav2_controller_selector_bt_node
- nav2_goal_checker_selector_bt_node
bt_navigator_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
controller_server:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
controller_frequency: 10.0
min_x_velocity_threshold: 0.001
min_y_velocity_threshold: 0.5
min_theta_velocity_threshold: 0.001
failure_tolerance: 0.3
progress_checker_plugin: "progress_checker"
goal_checker_plugins: ["general_goal_checker"]
controller_plugins: ["FollowPath"]
# Progress checker parameters
progress_checker:
plugin: "nav2_controller::SimpleProgressChecker"
required_movement_radius: 0.5
movement_time_allowance: 10.0
general_goal_checker:
stateful: True
plugin: "nav2_controller::SimpleGoalChecker"
xy_goal_tolerance: 0.25
yaw_goal_tolerance: 0.25
# DWB parameters
FollowPath:
plugin: "dwb_core::DWBLocalPlanner"
debug_trajectory_details: True
min_vel_x: 0.0
min_vel_y: 0.0
max_vel_x: 0.22
max_vel_y: 0.0
max_vel_theta: 1.0
min_speed_xy: 0.0
max_speed_xy: 0.22
min_speed_theta: 0.0
# Add high threshold velocity for turtlebot 3 issue.
# https://github.com/ROBOTIS-GIT/turtlebot3_simulations/issues/75
acc_lim_x: 2.5
acc_lim_y: 0.0
acc_lim_theta: 3.2
decel_lim_x: -2.5
decel_lim_y: 0.0
decel_lim_theta: -3.2
vx_samples: 20
vy_samples: 0
vtheta_samples: 40
sim_time: 1.5
linear_granularity: 0.05
angular_granularity: 0.025
transform_tolerance: 0.2
xy_goal_tolerance: 0.05
trans_stopped_velocity: 0.25
short_circuit_trajectory_evaluation: True
stateful: True
critics: ["RotateToGoal", "Oscillation", "BaseObstacle", "GoalAlign", "PathAlign", "PathDist", "GoalDist"]
BaseObstacle.scale: 0.02
PathAlign.scale: 32.0
PathAlign.forward_point_distance: 0.1
GoalAlign.scale: 24.0
GoalAlign.forward_point_distance: 0.1
PathDist.scale: 32.0
GoalDist.scale: 24.0
RotateToGoal.scale: 32.0
RotateToGoal.slowing_factor: 5.0
RotateToGoal.lookahead_time: -1.0
controller_server_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
local_costmap:
local_costmap:
ros__parameters:
update_frequency: 5.0
publish_frequency: 2.0
global_frame: TB3_1/odom
robot_base_frame: TB3_1/base_link
use_sim_time: False
rolling_window: true
width: 3
height: 3
resolution: 0.05
robot_radius: 0.1
plugins: ["obstacle_layer", "voxel_layer", "inflation_layer"]
inflation_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::InflationLayer"
inflation_radius: 1.0
cost_scaling_factor: 3.0
obstacle_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::ObstacleLayer"
enabled: True
observation_sources: scan
scan:
topic: /scan
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
clearing: True
marking: True
data_type: "LaserScan"
voxel_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::VoxelLayer"
enabled: True
publish_voxel_map: True
origin_z: 0.0
z_resolution: 0.05
z_voxels: 16
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
mark_threshold: 0
observation_sources: scan
scan:
topic: /scan
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
clearing: True
marking: True
data_type: "LaserScan"
raytrace_max_range: 3.0
raytrace_min_range: 0.0
obstacle_max_range: 2.5
obstacle_min_range: 0.0
static_layer:
map_subscribe_transient_local: True
always_send_full_costmap: True
local_costmap_client:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
local_costmap_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
global_costmap:
global_costmap:
ros__parameters:
update_frequency: 1.0
publish_frequency: 1.0
global_frame: TB3_1/map
robot_base_frame: TB3_1/base_link
use_sim_time: False
robot_radius: 0.1
resolution: 0.05
track_unknown_space: true
plugins: ["static_layer", "obstacle_layer", "voxel_layer", "inflation_layer"]
obstacle_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::ObstacleLayer"
enabled: True
observation_sources: scan
scan:
topic: /scan
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
clearing: True
marking: True
data_type: "LaserScan"
raytrace_max_range: 3.0
raytrace_min_range: 0.0
obstacle_max_range: 2.5
obstacle_min_range: 0.0
voxel_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::VoxelLayer"
enabled: True
publish_voxel_map: True
origin_z: 0.0
z_resolution: 0.05
z_voxels: 16
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
mark_threshold: 0
observation_sources: scan
scan:
topic: /scan
max_obstacle_height: 2.0
clearing: True
marking: True
data_type: "LaserScan"
raytrace_max_range: 3.0
raytrace_min_range: 0.0
obstacle_max_range: 2.5
obstacle_min_range: 0.0
static_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::StaticLayer"
map_subscribe_transient_local: True
inflation_layer:
plugin: "nav2_costmap_2d::InflationLayer"
cost_scaling_factor: 3.0
inflation_radius: 0.55
always_send_full_costmap: True
global_costmap_client:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
global_costmap_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
map_server:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
yaml_filename: "map.yaml"
frame_id: "TB3_1/map"
map_saver:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
save_map_timeout: 5.0
free_thresh_default: 0.25
occupied_thresh_default: 0.65
map_subscribe_transient_local: True
planner_server:
ros__parameters:
expected_planner_frequency: 20.0
use_sim_time: False
planner_plugins: ["GridBased"]
GridBased:
plugin: "nav2_navfn_planner/NavfnPlanner"
tolerance: 0.5
use_astar: false
allow_unknown: true
planner_server_rclcpp_node:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
recoveries_server:
ros__parameters:
costmap_topic: TB3_1/local_costmap/costmap_raw
footprint_topic: TB3_1/local_costmap/published_footprint
cycle_frequency: 10.0
recovery_plugins: ["spin", "backup", "wait"]
spin:
plugin: "nav2_recoveries/Spin"
backup:
plugin: "nav2_recoveries/BackUp"
wait:
plugin: "nav2_recoveries/Wait"
global_frame: TB3_1/odom
robot_base_frame: TB3_1/base_link
transform_timeout: 0.1
use_sim_time: true
simulate_ahead_time: 2.0
max_rotational_vel: 1.0
min_rotational_vel: 0.4
rotational_acc_lim: 3.2
robot_state_publisher:
ros__parameters:
use_sim_time: False
waypoint_follower:
ros__parameters:
loop_rate: 2000
stop_on_failure: false
waypoint_task_executor_plugin: "wait_at_waypoint"
wait_at_waypoint:
plugin: "nav2_waypoint_follower::WaitAtWaypoint"
enabled: True
waypoint_pause_duration: 200
I also modified my .rviz configuration file (nav2_ns_view.rviz) to use the namespaced frames, as shown below:
- Alpha: 1
Class: rviz_default_plugins/RobotModel
Collision Enabled: false
Description File: ""
Description Source: Topic
Description Topic:
Depth: 5
Durability Policy: Volatile
History Policy: Keep Last
Reliability Policy: Reliable
Value: robot_description
Enabled: false
Links:
All Links Enabled: true
Expand Joint Details: false
Expand Link Details: false
Expand Tree: false
Link Tree Style: ""
Mass Properties:
Inertia: false
Mass: false
Name: RobotModel
TF Prefix: ""
Update Interval: 0
Value: false
Visual Enabled: true
- Class: rviz_default_plugins/TF
Enabled: true
Frame Timeout: 15
Frames:
All Enabled: false
TB3_1/base_footprint:
Value: true
TB3_1/base_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/base_scan:
Value: true
TB3_1/camera_depth_frame:
Value: true
TB3_1/camera_depth_optical_frame:
Value: true
TB3_1/camera_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/camera_rgb_frame:
Value: true
TB3_1/camera_rgb_optical_frame:
Value: true
TB3_1/caster_back_left_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/caster_back_right_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/imu_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/map:
Value: true
TB3_1/odom:
Value: true
TB3_1/wheel_left_link:
Value: true
TB3_1/wheel_right_link:
Value: true
Marker Scale: 1
Name: TF
Show Arrows: true
Show Axes: true
Show Names: false
Tree:
TB3_1/map:
TB3_1/odom:
TB3_1/base_footprint:
TB3_1/base_link:
TB3_1/base_scan:
{}
TB3_1/camera_link:
TB3_1/camera_depth_frame:
TB3_1/camera_depth_optical_frame:
{}
TB3_1/camera_rgb_frame:
TB3_1/camera_rgb_optical_frame:
{}
TB3_1/caster_back_left_link:
{}
TB3_1/caster_back_right_link:
{}
TB3_1/imu_link:
{}
TB3_1/wheel_left_link:
{}
TB3_1/wheel_right_link:
{}
Update Interval: 0
Value: true
My Questions
I am trying to set up navigation for a single namespaced robot as the first step toward multi-robot navigation, but I am stuck.
-
After applying a namespace, what frame_id should be used when publishing to the initialpose topic? (e.g., should I publish to /TB3_1/initialpose with frame_id: "TB3_1/map"?)
-
If I fix issue 1, will this resolve the AMCL initialization failure (i.e., the missing map -> odom transform)? If AMCL still doesn't work correctly even after addressing this, what should I do next?"
-
Why are the global and local costmaps not subscribing to the scan topic with my current configuration? My rqt_graph shows the topic is /TB3_1/scan, but my YAML file specifies topic: /scan for the costmap observation sources.
-
What is the correct way to modify the .rviz configuration file and the Nav2 parameters .yaml file when applying a namespace to the entire bringup? Do I need to manually prefix every frame, or is there a better way?
Thank you for your help.
My modified code is attached below.
turtlebot3_navigation2.zip
Steps to reproduce issue
.
What Have You Tried?
Relevant logs / Terminal output
Screenshots or Diagrams
No response
Additional Information (Optional)
No response