ROS-Image-Based-Path-Simulation

Problem Statement

This project involves developing a ROS Node in C++ that generates and publishes a simulation image based on given input parameters. The node will:

1. Create an image of a specified size.
2. Mark obstacles, start position, and goal position.
3. Simulate the movement of an marker travelling from start to goal.

Features

• Customizable Simulation: Define the width, height, obstacle positions, start, and goal locations.
• Obstacle Representation: Obstacles appear as black pixels in the generated image.
• Start & Goal Markers:
  • Start position is marked in Yellow.
  • Goal position is marked in Blue.
• Arrow Path Simulation: The arrow moves step-by-step towards the goal, stopping at obstacles.
• Grid-by-Grid Update: The path updates dynamically in the ROS topic.

Input Parameters

The node requires the following parameters:

• Width & Height: Dimensions of the simulation space (in pixels).
• Obstacle List: List of (x, y) coordinates representing obstacles.
• Starting Position: (x, y) coordinate of the start position.
• Goal Position: (x, y) coordinate of the goal position.
• Simulation Rate: Speed of the simulation (in Hz).

Installation & Usage

Prerequisites

• ROS installed on your system
• OpenCV for image handling
• C++ compiler with CMake support

Build Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository_url>
   cd <repository_folder>

2. Build the package:

   catkin_make

3. Source the workspace:

   source devel/setup.bash

Running the Node

Run the ROS node to generate the simulation: <package_name> use assignment_1

roslaunch <package_name> <node_name>

Expected Output

1. A white image (free space) is published.
2. Black obstacles are placed.
3. Yellow marker (start position) appears.
4. Blue marker (goal position) appears.
5. The arrow path updates grid-by-grid until it reaches the goal or an obstacle is hit.

Example

To launch the simulation with custom parameters, modify the ROS launch file or pass arguments through a config file.

Future Enhancements

• Add support for different obstacle shapes.
• Implement advanced path-planning algorithms.
• Provide a GUI interface for user-defined parameters.