Clearpath Robotics Boxer User manual

Brand
Clearpath Robotics
Model
Boxer
Category
Bridges & repeaters
Type
User manual
BOXER
INDOOR ROBOTIC PLATFORM
USER MANUAL
CONTENTS
1 Introduction 3
1.1 What’s Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2 Getting Started 5
2.0.1 Static IP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.0.2 Connect to Boxer via SSH over ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.1 Wireless Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 Remote ROS Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Boxer Desktop Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 Safety Considerations 11
3.1 General Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.2 Pinch Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.3 E-Stop and Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4 Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4 Charging & Battery Maintenance 13
5 Light Patterns 14
6 Payload Integration Guide 15
6.1 Mechanical Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.2 Electrical Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
6.3 Software Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7 Contact 17
Rev. 1.0.1 2 Boxer UGV
INTRODUCTION
Boxer is a small, indoor mobile robotic platform designed for academic researchers and corporate innovation centers.
Rugged, fully extensible and ROS-ready, Boxer enables rapid prototyping and development of mobile robotic technolo-
gies.
Boxer includes a standard internal PC, as well as stereo cameras, sonar, 2D LiDAR, speaker, and IMU. Standard
perception modules are available, including URDF and simulator integration, as well as demonstration applications.
Please inquire with Clearpath Robotics for details. See Contact on page 17 for contact information.
What’s Included
Contained in your Boxer shipment are the following items:
• Boxer Robot
• 110V/220V Satiator Charger
• Sony Bluetooth controller
• Boxer User Manual
If you elected to purchase standard payload modules or custom integration services with Boxer, then additional equip-
ment will be included per your specific configuration, plus further documentation as required.
Hardware Overview
Boxer’s external features include a mounting grid on the top plate of 5 mm spaced at 80 mm, 190 mm diameter wheels,
two cameras, two sonar sensors, one LiDaR, and a human machine interface panel (HMI). The HMI panel is shown in
Figure 1, and includes from left: Ethernet port, Power button, Safety Reset button, charge port.
ETHERNET PORT
POWER BUTTON
RESET BUTTON CHARGE PORT
Figure 1: HMI panel.
Fused user power is available through the top plate through two different connectors. For more information on integrating
payloads electrically, see subsection 6.2, Electrical Integration.
System Architecture
Boxer is built around an x86 PC running Ubuntu, paired with a Logic, Safety and Power Control Unit (LSPCU) and
Traction Drive Control Unit (TDCU). The LSPCU handles power supply monitoring, and the safety system. The TDCU
Rev. 1.0.1 3 Boxer UGV
controls the control of the drive motors. The communication channel between the TDCU, LSPCU, and the PC is a
gigabit ethernet connection.
The communication protocol used is rosserial. One instance of the rosserial_server serial node launched for each
device by boxer_robot.
The key topics which comprise Boxer’s ROS API are given in Table 1.
Topic Message Type Purpose
/cmd_vel geometry_msgs/Twist Input to Boxer’s kinematic controller. Publish here
to make Boxer go.
/odometry/filtered nav_msgs/Odometry Published by robot_localization, a filtered local-
ization estimate based on wheel odometry (en-
coders), and integrated IMU.
/imu/data_raw sensor_msgs/IMU Published by lspcu_server, an orientation estimate
based on Boxer’s internal gyroscope, accelerome-
ter, and magnetometer.
/camera_left/image_color sensor_msgs/Image The current view from the left camera.
/camera_right/image_color sensor_msgs/Image The current view from the right camera.
/bms/battery_status Type: sensor_msgs/BatteryState Current state and usage of the internal batteries
/mcu/traction/status boxer_msgs/TractionStatus Low-frequency status data for Boxer’s systems.
This information is republished in human readable
form on the diagnostics topic and is best con-
sumed with the Robot Monitor.
Table 1: Boxer ROS API Topics
Rev. 1.0.1 4 Boxer UGV
GETTING STARTED
The first step is to power up your Boxer and have some fun driving it around! If you’ve just unpacked Boxer from its
shipment packaging, all you have to do is press the power button on the back left of the robot. The LED ring will turn
white, then red, after which you will wait about 30 seconds for the internal PC to finish booting up.
Once the robot is started, the four corners will be flashing red because the robot starts in an e-stop state. To reset this
state, pull the e-stop out and reset the safety system by pressing the button in the back right of the robot. The front
corners will turn solid white and and the back corners will turn solid red.
Press the PS/P4 button on the Sony Bluetooth controller to sync the controller to Boxer. Once the light bar on the back
of the controller is solidly lit, you’re paired and ready to drive. Hold the L1 trigger button (deadman switch), and push
the left thumbstick forward to drive the Boxer. For full speed mode, hold the R1 trigger. See Figure 2 for the Sony PS4
controls layout.
Deadman Switch [L1]
Turbo [R1]
Full Speed Mode
Steer [Left Thumbstick]
Forward/Right/Backward/Left
Figure 2: PS4 Controls Layout
If you’re not seeing any action, check Contact on page 17 to get in touch with support.
Static IP Configuration
Connect a computer to ethernet port on the back left of the robot with a standard ethernet cable. Set your computer’s
ethernet port to a static IP such as 192.168.131.51. To do this in Ubuntu, follow the steps below:
Rev. 1.0.1 5 Boxer UGV
1. Click on the Wifi icon in the upper-right corner of your screen, and select Edit Connections
2. In the Network Connections window, under Ethernet, select your wired connection and then click Edit
3. Select the IPv4 Settings tab and then change the Method to Manual
4. Click the Add button to add a new address
5. Enter a 192.168.131.51 as the static IP under the Address column, and enter 255.255.255.0 under the NetMask
column, and then select Save
Figure 3: Static IP Configuration
Connect to Boxer via SSH over ethernet
The next step is to connect to Boxer via SSH. To do so execute the following in a terminal window:
ssh administrator@192 .168.131.1
You will be promoted to enter a password. The default password is clearpath.
Wireless Access
To get Boxer connected to your local wifi, you must first access the internal computer using a wired connection and
connect through SSH like above. Now that you’re connected via SSH over a wired connection, you can setup Boxer
Rev. 1.0.1 6 Boxer UGV
to connect to a local wifi network. To do this, you will use the wireless interface configuration daemon (WICD) - a
preinstalled network manager.
In a terminal window, execute the following command:
wicd-curses
You should see a browsable list of networks which the robot has detected. Use arrow keys to select the one you would
like to connect to, and then press the right arrow to configure it. You can enter your network’s password near the
bottom of the page, and note that you must select the correct encryption scheme; most modern networks use WPA1/2
Passphrase, so if that’s you, make sure that option is selected. You also likely want to select the option to automatically
reconnect to this network, so that Boxer will be there for you on your wireless automatically in the future.
When you’re finished, press F10 to save, and then C to connect. Boxer is now connected to wifi!
While you’re still wired to Boxer, you’ll need to identify the IP address of Boxer’s wireless connection.
In a terminal window, execute:
ifconfig
A list of network connections will be displayed within the terminal. Locate the wireless network and make note of its IP
address. Now that you know Boxer’s wireless IP address, you may now exit the ethernet SSH session by executing
exit.
Remove the ethernet cord because you can now you can SSH into Boxer over the wireless network. To do so, execute:
ssh administrator@ <IP_OF_BOXER >
SSH sessions allow you to control Boxer’s internal computer. You can do various things such as download packages,
run updates, add/remove files, transfer files etc.
Remote ROS Connectivity
To use ROS desktop tools, you’ll need your computer to be able to connect to Boxer’s ROS master. This will allow you
to run ROS commands like rostopic list, rostopic echo, rosnode list, and others, from a remote PC and the output
will reflect the activity on Boxer’s ROS master, rather than on your own machine. This can be a tricky process, but we’ve
tried to make it as simple as possible.
In order for the ROS tools on your computer to talk to Boxer, they need to know two things:
• How to find the ROS master, which is set in the ROS_MASTER_URI environment variable, and
• How processes on the other computer can find your computer, which is the ROS_IP environment variable.
Before you start, you will need to find the IP address of the robot and your computer. If you are using wireless, make
sure to note the IP of the wireless interfaces on each computer:
ifconfig
Rev. 1.0.1 7 Boxer UGV
The suggested pattern is to create a file in your home directory called remote-boxer.sh with the following contents:
export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://cpr-boxer-0001:11311 # Boxer’s hostname
export ROS_IP =10.25.0.102 # Your computer’s wireless IP address
If your network doesn’t already resolve Boxer’s hostname to its wireless IP address, you may need to add a correspond-
ing line to your computer’s /etc/hosts file:
10.25.0.101 cpr -b100-0001
NOTE: You can verify the hostname and IP address of Boxer using the following commands during an SSH session
with the onboard PC.
hostname
hostname -i
Then, when you’re ready to communicate remotely with Boxer, you can source that script like so, thus defining those
two key environment variables in the present context.
source remote-boxer.sh
To verify that everything is set up propelry, you will need to install some ROS packages on your computer:
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-rqt -robot-monitor ros-kinetic-rqt -console
Once those are installed, try running a few ROS commands, such as the standard visual ROS tools:
rosrun rqt_robot_monitor rqt_robot_monitor
rosrun rqt_console rqt_console
If the tools launch, then everything is setup properly. If not, please see the next section for how to setup ROS on your
local machine.
Please contact Clearpath Support if you need assistance in conifugring remote access. For more general details on
how ROS works over TCP with multiple machines, please see:
http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Tutorials/MultipleMachines.
For help troubleshooting a multiple machines connectivity issue, see:
http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/NetworkSetup
Rev. 1.0.1 8 Boxer UGV
Boxer Desktop Packages
To command or observe Boxer from your desktop computer, first set up a basic ROS installation. See the following
page for details:
http://wiki.ros.org/kinetic/Installation/Ubuntu
When your ROS install is set up, you will need to add a new APT source so you can install Boxer packages. See this
link for instructions on how to do this.
https://packages.clearpathrobotics.com
Once you can install Boxer packages, install the Boxer desktop packages:
sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-boxer -desktop
Once your remote access to Boxer’s ROS master is configured (see options in subsection 2.2), you can launch rviz, the
standard ROS robot visualization tool:
roslaunch boxer_viz view_robot.launch
Figure 4: View Robot in RVIZ
From within rviz, you can use interactive markers to drive Boxer, you can visualize its published localization estimate,
and you can visualize any attached sensors which have been added to its robot description XML (URDF).
Additionally from the desktop, you can launch the standard RQT Robot Monitor, which watches the diagnostic output
from Boxer’s self-montoring capabilities:
rosrun rqt_robot_monitor rqt_robot_monitor
Rev. 1.0.1 9 Boxer UGV
Figure 5: View Robot Diagnostics in Robot Monitor
Rev. 1.0.1 10 Boxer UGV
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Boxer is a powerful, heavy, fast moving robotic platform. Please read the following safety information carefully.
General Warnings
For the safety of yourself and others, always conduct initial experiments and software development with the motors not
engaged. Whenever the robot is not being operated and the motors are engaged, keep it in a stop state. Do not ride
on the vehicle, it can accelerate and brake quickly.
When starting out, favour slower wheel speeds. Boxer’s control loops can accurately maintain velocities as low as 0.1
m/s. Operating at such speeds will give you more time to react if things don’t go quite as you expect.
When enabling the system using the Safety Reset buton on the back of the robot, be prepared for the robot to move.
User code running on the Boxer may still be trying to command the motors, and this can result in sudden and unexpected
movement of the vehicle. Be prepared to stop the system again using the e-stop button.
For the safety of yourself and others, always conduct initial experiments and software development with the vehicle
raised off the ground. Place a set of sturdy wooden blocks, such as 4”x4” posts on their side, under the Boxer to keep
the wheels clear of the ground (“up on blocks”).
Pinch Points
When operating the Boxer, it is important to maintain a safe distance away from the unit, paying particular attention to
the pinch hazard which exists between each wheel and the base of the robot. Do not place fingers anywhere under the
robot while the motors are powered.
E-Stop and Lockout
The red emergency stop button (e-stop) is located on the back right of Boxer. When in e-stop mode, the status light
ring will illuminate flash red on the corners (see 2), and Boxer will not drive. The commands received during e-stop are
not buffered; Boxer will always act on the latest commands received. This means that if the commands are stopped
before the e-stop is released, the Boxer will not move. If the commands are continued, Boxer will move at the speed
commanded once the e-stop is released.
To release the e-stop condition, pull the e-stop button out to the reset position, then press the Safety Reset button
located above it.
Electrical System
The largest electrical safety consideration with the Boxer system is the VBat connection. As it is pulled straight from the
batteries, it may have a voltage of 18V (depleted) - 32V (Charging) and can be used to power large external devices.
Rev. 1.0.1 11 Boxer UGV
This voltage can cause electrical shock if directly contacted, and is fused internally with an inline fuse at 40A. In general,
take care to connect or disconnect devices preferably only when the entire system is powered off via the external switch
on the rear (main power switch).
Take note that triggering a Stop condition only disables voltage to the motors, not the rest of the system which includes
the connectors.
To ensure saftey, please also observe the following precautions:
• Do not tamper with the battery terminals or wiring.
• Consult Clearpath Robotics support if you need to service the battery pack or power supply system.
• Do not lay tools or other objects on top of the poser connector interface.
• Do not move the robot while charging the battery.
• Charge the battery only with the charger provided by Clearpath Robotics.
Rev. 1.0.1 12 Boxer UGV
CHARGING & BATTERY MAINTENANCE
Boxer’s Lithium Titanate battery can be charged by simply plugging in the charger to the charge port located on the
back right of the robot. Charging will occur when Boxer is powered or shut down.
The battery pack is manufactured for Clearpath Robotics by Toshiba. The pack includes integrated protections against
fault due to overcurrent, overdischarge, and short circuit. The pack is rugged and designed for the demanding environ-
ments into which Boxer may be deployed.
However, please take note of the following:
• The pack must not be stored or operated above 55
◦
C or below −30
◦
C.
• The pack must not be punctured or disassembled.
• The pack should be dropped off or delivered to your local hazardous waste authority for disposal.
• When traveling with Boxer, consult your airline’s restrictions regarding lithium battery packs, and the regulations
in the countries you will be traveling to.
Please contact Clearpath Robotics for additional information about Boxer’s battery or for information about purchasing
additional packs.
Rev. 1.0.1 13 Boxer UGV
LIGHT PATTERNS
The light patterns on the Boxer robot indicate the following states:
Normal Operation
LED Indicators:
• Front corners: white
• Rear corners: red
Emergency Stop
Blinking red corners
To reset the Boxer, ensure the e-stop button is pulled out. Then press the Reset button
located above the E-Stop button.
Note: An e-stopped vehicle does not deliver power to the traction motors and can
therefore be rolled freely. If a vehicle is e-stopped on a slope, the vehicle may roll
(note that the Boxer is not safe to be used on slopes greater than 1 degree).
Charging
LED Indicators:
• Front corners: white
• Rear corners: red
• Sides: green lights expanding slowly
The green lights along the sides of the Boxer fill to indicate the state of the charge.
Once fully charged, the green lights will disappear. Ensure the charge cable is discon-
nected before driving the robot.
Starting Up
Full white light pipe
The Boxer is on but has not completed the boot cycle.
No ROS Connection
Full red light pipe
The Boxer MCU doesn’t have contact with ROS. Either ROS is still starting or is no
longer running.
Table 2: Indication Light Status.
Rev. 1.0.1 14 Boxer UGV
PAYLOAD INTEGRATION GUIDE
If you’re wanting to attach custom hardware to Boxer, you’ll have to take care of mechanical mounting, electrical supply,
and software integration. This section aims to equip you with respect to these challenges.
Mechanical Mounting
For external payloads, the recommended configuration is manufacture a metal or plastic bracket which attaches to the
80 mm square mounting holes supplied on Boxer’s lid panel. As an alternative to manufacturing a brand new plate, you
may remove and modify one of the included ones.
Only lift the robot using the bottom of the platform. Lifting using the top-plate may cause damage to the internal lifting
mechanism.
Electrical Integration
Except for bus-powered USB cameras, most payloads have separate leads for power and data. All of the necessary
connections for power and data are available using the break-out panel on the top of the Boxer.
12V CIRCUIT BREAKER
24V CIRCUIT BREAKER
VBAT CIRCUIT BREAKER
BATTERY POWER
USER POWER
USB 3.0 PORT USB 3.0 PORT
POE PORT POE PORT
Figure 6: User connection interface.
There are two Power Over Ethernet (POE) ports and two USB3 connections available through this interface.
There is also power available to the user for different payloads through the two power connectors. Power ratings,
voltages, and pin descriptions are outlined in Table 3. Contact Clearpath Support for details about these connections.
Voltage Current Info
Battery (18.0-32.4V) 40A Direct connection to battery. Fused
12V 10A Regulated. Fused
24V 7.5A Regulated. Fused
Table 3: User power availability.
Rev. 1.0.1 15 Boxer UGV
Connector Pin Info
VBAT 1 Direct connection to battery
VBAT 2 Battery Common
User 1-2 12V User Power
User 3-4 24V User Power
User 5-8 User Power Common
Table 4: User power connection pin-out.
Software Integration
ROS has a large ecosystem of sensor drivers, some of which include pre-made URDF descriptions and even simulation
configurations. Please see the following page on the ROS wiki for a partial list:
http://wiki.ros.org/Sensors
For the best experience, consider purchasing supported accessories from Clearpath Robotics for your Boxer, which will
include simulation, visualization, and driver support. However, we will happily assist you in integrating your own devices
as well.
Rev. 1.0.1 16 Boxer UGV
CONTACT
Clearpath is committed to your success with Boxer. Please get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to get you rolling
again quickly: [email protected]
To get in touch with a salesperson regarding Boxer or other Clearpath Robotics products, please email [email protected].
If you have an issue that is specifically about ROS and is something which may be of interest to the broader community,
consider asking it on answers.ros.org. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, please ping us and include a link to your
question as posted there. If appropriate, we’ll answer in the ROS Answers context for the benefit of the community.
Boxer is designed not to require regular maintenance. As it is a newer product, Clearpath appreciates your patience as
we understand its weak-point components and fill out the appropriate care instructions for the platform.
Rev. 1.0.1 17 Boxer UGV
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Clearpath Robotics Boxer User manual

Brand
Clearpath Robotics
Model
Boxer
Category
Bridges & repeaters
Type
User manual
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