= Ackermann Interest Group =
This page provides links to all current ROS code related to Ackermann steering based robots. Discussions are aimed at producing generic interfaces for control, navigation and simulation of Ackermann robots.

== Members ==
 * Piyush Khandelwal
 * Jack O'Quin
 * Cedric Pradalier
 * Chien-Liang Fok
 * Austin Hendrix
 * Matt Droter

== Overview ==
We are interested in mobile robots using Ackermann steering geometry, as shown in this diagram ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_steering_geometry|from Wikipedia]]). Since these robots cannot turn in place, they are difficult for the [[navigation|standard ROS navigation stack]] to support.

{{attachment:Ackermann_turning.svg|Ackermann_turning.svg|title=""}}

''Diagram by User:Bromskloss [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons. Original image cropped by Andy Dingley.''

== Robots and code ==
 * New ackermann_msgs package (created by [[Ackermann Group/January 29, 2012|group discussion]])
  * [[ackermann_msgs]]
  * Driver interface: <<MsgLink(ackermann_msgs/AckermannDriveStamped)>>
  * Navigation: not in this package
  * Release status: initial version (0.4.0) in Electric, Fuerte and Groovy
 * New ackermann_qt package
  * [[ackermann_qt]]
  * Driver interface: <<MsgLink(ackermann_msgs/AckermannDriveStamped)>>
  * Navigation: tele-operation only
 * Marvin
  * [[utexas-art-ros-pkg]] ''no longer actively maintained''
  * Driver interface: Customized (art_msgs/CarDriveStamped)
  * Navigation: Customized ([[art_nav]])
 * Dagny
  * Drivers: AVR with custom driver
  * Driver Interface: standard cmd_vel and odom
  * Navigation: Customized navigation stack, using [[sbpl_lattice_planner]] and custom local planner (incomplete)
  * Code: https://github.com/trainman419/dagny_ros and https://github.com/trainman419/dagny_nav (incomplete)
  * Documentation: pending software stability
  * Blog: http://namniart.com
 * NXT Lego car-like simulation
  * Code: http://code.google.com/p/lego-nxt-car-like/
 * Agvs robot
  * Robot for logistics autonomous transport
  * [[Robots/Agvs|Agvs]]
 * teb_local_planner
  * This planner is being extended to support ackermann type vehicles with kinodynamic constraints (aka limited turning radius)
  * [[http://wiki.ros.org/teb_local_planner| teb_local_planner]]
 * RBCAR robot
  * Robotic golf cart
  * Tested with [[teb_local_planner| teb_local_planner]]
  * [[Robots/RBCAR | RBCAR]] 

== Discussions ==
 * [[Ackermann Group/January 29, 2012|Navigation and driver interface messages]]
 * [[http://answers.ros.org/question/27/how-can-i-use-the-navigation-stack-on-a-carlike|How can I use the navigation stack on a carlike robot?]]
 * http://answers.ros.org/question/40447/implementing-slam-on-a-car-like-robot-using-the-navigation-stack-in-ros/