PX4 Offboard ROS2 Package

Overview

The PX4 Offboard ROS2 package enables autonomous control of a UAV by generating and sending offboard setpoints based on a polygonal path. This package communicates with the PX4 flight controller using ROS2 topics.

Features

• Polygonal Path Generation: The package generates a polygonal path based on user-defined parameters such as center point, circumradius, number of sides, and rotation angle.
• Offboard Setpoint Control: The offboard_setpoint node publishes trajectory setpoints to the PX4 flight controller, allowing the UAV to follow the specified polygonal path.
• Dynamic Parameters: Users can customize key parameters to define the shape of the polygon and the UAV's behavior, providing flexibility for different mission requirements.
• Offboard Mode Handling: The package monitors the vehicle's control mode, ensuring that setpoints are only sent when the UAV is in offboard mode.

Prerequisites

• ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2)
• PX4 firmware configured for offboard mode

Installation

1. Clone this repository to your ROS2 workspace:

   git clone https://github.com/hpaul360/px4_offboard.git

2. Build the package:

   colcon build --symlink-install

3. Source the ROS2 setup file:

   source install/setup.bash

Usage

1. Ensure your PX4 flight controller is configured for offboard mode and is armed.

2. Take off the UAV.

3. Launch the px4_offboard node:

   ros2 launch px4_offboard offboard_launch.py

4. The UAV will follow a polygonal path based on the specified parameters.

Connection Parameters

Set parameters in the config file accordingly: px4_offboard/config/params.yaml

## Parameters
polygon_center: [0, 3] # Center of the polygon x,y in m
circum_radius: 0.5 # in m
n_sides: 6 # Number of sides of a polygon
meter_per_sec: 1.0 # Estimated expected speed in m/s(can be close/less than this value). Note this is just a estimate, only used to set number of setpoints in between vertices. This is not actual velocity control with feedback.
polygon_angle: 45 # in deg (Self note: Keep 45 for square.)
uav_height: -0.8 # in m. Should be a negative value.
uav_yaw: 0.0 # in deg

License

This software is released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Author

• Hannibal Paul

Acknowledgments

• This package is based on the PX4 Offboard Control example.

Issues and Contributions

• Report any issues or contribute to the development of this package on GitHub.

Contact

• For questions or further assistance, feel free to contact the author Hannibal Paul.