pvandervelde / basic-swerve-sim

Welcome to Patrick's corner

I've been a software engineer for 15 years. I've worked in a range of industries, from emergency services to the cinema, and on projects where software shipped directly customers or to internal development teams.

I'm interested in designing and building autonomous mobile robots with four-wheel independent steering (also known as a swerve drive). The prototype has ROS2 code for robot description, the Gazebo world and the steering controller. I've also contributed a significant amount of the ROS code for the SCUTTLE robot.

Other interests include:

• All kinds of autonomous mobile robots
• Electronics
• Computer Aided Design (Rhino3d, Fusion360, AutoCAD)
• Rock climbing
• Gardening
• Woodworking

Latest

• Swerve drive - Motor limitations
• Four wheel steering simulation - 0 degree linear to rotation - velocity limited
• Swerve drive - Using Nav2
• Robotics - Making URDF models
• Four wheel steering robot - Omnidirectional drive
• Swerve drive - Motion profiles
• Swerve drive - Control animations
• Swerve drive - Better movement by controlling the body motions
• Swerve drive - Verification of the kinematics solution
• Four wheel steering model with ROS2 controllers - Ignition Gazebo first movement

Github stats

basic-swerve-sim's Issues

Allow robot configuration changes from 4 wheels upwards

Allow configuring a robot with more than four wheels.

Enable moving center around which the body rotates

Having the ability to change the location around which the body rotates would allow for some interesting movements. Ideally we'd allow this center to move dynamically while the robot is moving.

Simulate uneven ground

Include the ability to have uneven ground so that we can see how the robot responds to this.
Implementing uneven ground probably means we have to include the 3D equations

Calculate wheel slip due to deviation from ICR

When the wheels don't align one or more wheels must be slipping. It would be interesting to see a graph with the wheel slip for each module.

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pep621

pyproject.toml

• pytest >=8.2.2
• matplotlib >=3.9.0
• numpy >=2.0.0
• plotly >=5.22.0

Dependency Dashboard

This issue lists Renovate updates and detected dependencies. Read the Dependency Dashboard docs to learn more.

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Detected dependencies

pep621

pyproject.toml

• pytest >=8.2.2
• matplotlib >=3.9.0
• numpy >=2.0.0
• plotly >=5.22.0

Dependency Dashboard

This issue lists Renovate updates and detected dependencies. Read the Dependency Dashboard docs to learn more.

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Detected dependencies

pep621

pyproject.toml

• pytest >=8.2.2
• matplotlib >=3.9.0
• numpy >=2.0.0
• plotly >=5.22.0

Allow starting transition profiles with an existing velocity / acceleration / jerk

The simulation currently assumes that you always start from a constant state, i.e. one where you are moving with a specific body / module command and have reached steady state. In the real world it is possible that new commands are given while existing commands aren't complete yet. This means that there are existing velocity / acceleration / jerk values. Ideally the transition profiles take those into account and work with them, instead of ignoring them.

Potentially rewrite in Rust

Because I want to learn Rust, maybe this is a good place to start?

Dependency Dashboard

This issue lists Renovate updates and detected dependencies. Read the Dependency Dashboard docs to learn more.

This repository currently has no open or pending branches.

Detected dependencies

pep621

pyproject.toml

• pytest >=8.2.2
• matplotlib >=3.9.0
• numpy >=2.0.0
• plotly >=5.22.0

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Dependency Dashboard

This issue lists Renovate updates and detected dependencies. Read the Dependency Dashboard docs to learn more.

This repository currently has no open or pending branches.

Detected dependencies

pep621

pyproject.toml

• pytest >=8.2.2
• matplotlib >=3.9.0
• numpy >=2.0.0
• plotly >=5.22.0

Implement path following

Include the ability to define a path and have the robot follow it.

Make simulation take motor characteristics into account

At the moment the simulation does not take into account motor characteristics and limitations. In the real world however motors do have limitations and behaviour characteristics that determine its output capabilities. Thus to make the simulation more realistic it should take these things into account.

Behaviours to account for could be:

• Maximum rotational velocity of the drive shaft
• Maximum rotational acceleration of the drive shaft
• The amount of torque the motor can deliver for a given rotational velocity
• The presence (or absence) of motor deadband
• The presence (or absence) of motor hysteresis
• Rotational velocity and acceleration behaviour with load applied to the drive shaft