Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) Overview
For ROS 2 Humble and beyond, the software structure of Clearpath
robots has changed significantly. Rather than having individual sets of packages for each robot, we have opted to
create common clearpath packages which are used by all supported platforms. Additionally, we are moving away from
using environment variables to customize the robot, and instead using a YAML configuration file to describe the
robot. We have also defined a ROS 2 API common to all of our supported platforms. As a result,
our platforms are now more customizable, more modular, and more unified.
Terminology
Clearpath Platform: The platform refers to the vehicle that makes up the base of the robot. The platform may be referred to by the platform code to indicate the revision.
Clearpath Robot: The robot refers to the entire robotic system, including the platform, sensors, and additional accessories.
Clearpath Config: The config refers to the robot.yaml configuration file that defines the Clearpath robot.
Clearpath API: The API refers to the ROS 2 application programming interface. This is a set of ROS 2 topics and services defined by Clearpath which are used by all supported Clearpath platforms.
Supported Platforms
| Platform | Platform code | Supports ROS 2 Humble (amd64) | (arm64) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Husky | A200 | Yes (As of 0.1) | Coming |
| Jackal | J100 | Yes (As of 0.1) | Coming |
| Warthog | W200 | Yes (As of 0.2) | Coming |
| Dingo | DD100 | Coming | Coming |
| DO100 | Coming | Coming | |
| DD150 | Coming | Coming | |
| DO150 | Coming | Coming | |
| Ridgeback | R100 | Coming | Coming |
| Boxer | B250 | No | No |
Supported Sensors
While some sensor drivers may support other sensor models, the table below represents the sensors that have been validated by Clearpath.
| Sensor | Type | Installation | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| SICK LMS-111/LMS-151 | 2D Lidar | Debian | LMS1xx |
| Hokuyo UST10-LX | 2D Lidar | Debian | urg_node |
| Hokuyo UST20-LX | 2D Lidar | Debian | urg_node |
| Hokuyo UST30-LX | 2D Lidar | Debian | urg_node |
| MicroStrain 3DM-GX5 | IMU | Debian | microstrain_intertial |
| Redshift Labs UM7 | IMU | Debian | um7 |
| CH Robotics UM6 | IMU | Debian | um7 |
| Velodyne Puck | 3D Lidar | Debian | velodyne |
| Garmin GPS 18x | GPS | Debian | nmea_navsat_driver |
| NovAtel SMART6 and SMART7 | GPS | Debian | nmea_navsat_driver |
| Swift Navigation Duro | GPS | Source | duro_gps_driver |
| Flir Blackfly S | Camera | Debian | flir_camera_driver |
| Intel Realsense D435 | Depth Camera | Debian | realsense-ros |
| Stereolabs Zed 2 | Depth Camera | Source | zed-ros2-wrapper |
Debian drivers are automatically installed on robots as part of the Clearpath Robot Metapackage.