av_velodyne

This repository hosts the required environment for running the ROS 2 Velodyne LIDAR driver, specifically configured for running for two VLP-16 sensors mounted (left and right) on the autonomous vehicle platform of the Rad group at the University of Edinburgh.

Docker container

• Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04
• ROS Distribution: Humble Hawksbill
• Velodyne Drivers:
  • ros-humble-velodyne-driver ( version 2.4.0-1): Manages communication with the Velodyne LIDAR sensor
  • ros-humble-velodyne-pointcloud (version 2.4.0-1): Converts LIDAR data into 3D pointclouds(sensor_msgs/PointCloud2)

For more details please see Dockerfile

ROS 2 launcher

The av_velodyne_launch ROS package contains the required launch files and configuration parameters for launching the driver for two lidars labeled as left and right.

Usage

Quickly build and run the Docker container using runtime.sh for runtime or debugging, and dev.sh for a convenient development setup.

Runtime or Debugging

Execute the ROS 2 nodes in runtime mode or start an interactive bash session for detailed debugging:

./runtime.sh [bash]

• Without arguments: Activates the container in runtime mode.
• With bash: Opens an interactive bash session for debugging.

Development

Prepare a development setting that reflects local code modifications and simplifies the build process:

./dev.sh

• Live Code Synchronization: Mounts local av_velodyne_launch directory with the container.
• Convenience Alias: The development container features a colcon_build alias, which simplifies the ROS2 build process. Executing colcon_build runs colcon build --symlink-install --cmake-args -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release and then sources the setup.bash to ensure the environment is updated with the latest build artifacts. This alias enhances productivity by combining build commands and environment setup into a single, easy command.