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i. Installation

Welcome to the Kikobot C1 Studio setup and startup guide. This document provides detailed steps to install, configure, and run the controller and visualization tools for Kikobot C1. Follow these instructions carefully to ensure a smooth setup process.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

  • You are using a system running Ubuntu 22.04 or a compatible OS.
  • ROS 2 Humble is installed on your system, you can install it by using this link.
  • You have administrator privileges to execute commands.
  • All required files, including the .deb package, are available.
    Downloadables : Links To Be Added

Step 1: Install the Kikobot Package

Place the provided .deb package in the current working directory of your terminal. Then, run the following commands to install it:

sudo dpkg -i kikobot_1.0.0_amd64.deb  
sudo apt-get install -f

Explanation:

  • dpkg -i: Installs the .deb package.
  • apt-get install -f: Fixes any missing dependencies automatically.

Step 2: Source ROS

To ensure your system recognizes the ROS 2 environment and installed packages, source the ROS setup script:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash

Note:

You can add this command to your .bashrc file for automatic sourcing every time you open a terminal:

echo "source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc  
source ~/.bashrc

Step 3: Run the Application

Once all dependencies and the package are installed, you can run the Kikobot C1 application. There are two parts to this:

Launch the Kikobot Planner UI

Extract the provided files into the Home directory and follow the given commands.

The UI provides an interface to control the Kikobot C1. Launch it by executing:

kikobot_ui

After running this command, a UI will appear from which you can directly control the Kikobot C1.

Launch Visualization in RViz

To visualize the Kikobot C1 and its operations, use the following command:

kikobot_launch_sh

Note : By default the serial port is set as USB0, if you have connected to some another serial port, the replace it by /dev/ttyUSB1 or /dev/ttyACM1 as instucted below :

ls /dev/tty*

Here you should see a port like /dev/ttyUSBx, X here will be a number for eg. /dev/ttyUSB1, For the next step replace the x with that number. Also extract the provided .zip file in the home directory and follow these steps

cd ws_test_microros
source install/setup.bash
ros2 run micro_ros_agent micro_ros_agent serial --dev /dev/ttyUSBx

After running this command you have to press the reset button on the controller.

Additional Notes

  • Ensure all commands are executed in the correct order.
  • If you encounter any issues during installation or execution, refer to the provided troubleshooting documentation or contact support.
  • Keep the provided .deb package and related files in a safe location for future reinstallation or updates.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully set up and operate the dedicated controller, Kikobot C1 Studio.