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Turtlebot-Android Pairing

Overview

This tutorial will get you started using the existing android-robot application suites so that you can take your turtlebot on a date!

Wifi Setup

To connect TurtleBot and an Android device, they must be on the same network.

• Connect the Android device to the same wifi access point that the TurtleBot is connected to.

Prepare the TurtleBot

Ensure turtlebot is brought up via rocon_launch in pairing mode as documented in turtlebot_bringup.

> rocon_launch turtlebot_bringup bringup.concert

Make sure you have ROS_HOSTNAME, or ROS_IP configured correctly as described in the network configuration tutorial, or else connections will fail. On hydro, the robot remocon will now display a message in fine print next to the robot icon trying to connect these variables set (in groovy, the app chooser would just crash).

Download the Robot Remocon

Go to the google app play store and download the Robot Remocon.

You can also manually download the other apps. Search for OSRF branded apps (not Willow Garage/Yujinrobot). Most apps are prefixed by either ROS or Turtlebot. This is not a necessary step though - the remocon can download them for you when starting the robot-android app pairs.

Connect to the TurtleBot

• Launch the "Robot Remocon" from the applications list.
• Click "Add a robot"
• There are various options for connecting to the robot.
  • By default, you can enter an ip, or scan (via zeroconf - the turtlebot advertises itself).
  • QRCode requires you to manually print a qrcode and stick it to the robot.

• Select your TurtleBot

  • You will get a message here if ROS_IP/ROS_HOSTNAME is not set.
• Click on Chirp

  • You should hear the TurtleBot moo. If you don't, check your network connectivity.

• There are two battery indicators in the top right, for robot and laptop.
• There are a bunch of other apps built in which will work as distributed. Some of them (e.g. Chirp) are just executed on the robot, so from your device you can only start/stop them. Others (most of them) will start an app in the robot and a client on the device. If one of those apps is not installed, the Robot Remocon will redirect you to the Play Store to download it.
• Some of the apps up now are:
  • Android Teleop controls the robot with a joystick interface on the touch screen.

  • Follower will launch the TurtleBot in turtlebot_follower/Tutorials/Demo mode.

  • Make a map and navigate a map allow you to redo what you learned on turtlebot navigation tutorials with an Android device instead of a workstation.

  • Autodocking will make the robot look from its docking base and connect to it automatically.