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Description: This package can be used to control Pluto or PlutoX using keyboard, joystick or rostopic PlutoMsg.

Tutorial Level: BEGINNER

Supported Hardware

This node is intended to work with Pluto and PlutoX drone.

Getting Started

Use following instructions on how to use this package:

Prerequisites

Follow this tutorial on ROS wiki and install necessary package to use the joystick control feature of pluto-ros-package.

Installation

# Navigate to catkin workspace
roscd <WORKSPACE_NAME>

# clone repository
git clone https://github.com/DronaAviation/pluto-ros-package

# Build the Package 
catkin_make 

Nodes

• plutonode
  The plutonode provides a communication with Pluto/PlutoX drone

rosrun plutodrone plutonode 

• data_via_rosservice.py
  This can be used to get the data from drone

rosrun plutoserver data_via_rosservice.py

• plutojoystick
  To control drone using Joystick

rosrun plutoserver plutojoystick

• drone_comb.launch
  Use this launch file of node to control drone using keyboard

roslaunch plutoserver drone_comb.launch

* Note: To use Camera wifi to control drone instead of ESP wifi, edit following lines in Communication.cpp

addr.sin_port = htons(CAMERA_PORT);
addr.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(CAMERA_IP_ADDRESS);

Topics

• PlutoMsg
  msg/PlutoMsg
  RC data to control the drone

Parameters

1. ~rcRoll
   type = int64
   default = 1500
   rc data for roll axis ranges from 1000 to 2000

2. ~rcPitch
   type = int64
   default = 1500
   rc data for pitch axis ranges from 1000 to 2000

3. ~rcYaw
   type = int64
   default = 1500
   rc data for yaw axis ranges from 1000 to 2000

4. ~rcThrottle
   type = int64
   default = 1500
   rc data for throttle axis ranges from 1000 to 2000

5. ~rcAUX1
   type = int64
   default = 1000
   rc data for AUX1 channel ranges from 1000 to 2000

6. ~rcAUX2
   type = int64
   default = 1000
   rc data for AUX2 channel ranges from 1000 to 2000

7. ~rcAUX3
   type = int64
   default = 1000
   rc data for AUX3 channel ranges from 1000 to 2000

8. ~rcAUX4
   type = int64
   default = 1000
   rc data for AUX4 channel ranges from 1000 to 2000

9. ~plutoIndex
   type = int64
   default = 0
   pluto index number for multiple drones

Services

• PlutoPilot
  srv/PlutoPilot
  This service can be used to get data from drone

Requests

1. ~roll
   type = int32
   roll value from drone

2. ~pitch
   type = int32
   pitch value from drone

3. ~yaw
   type = int32
   yaw value from drone

4. ~accx
   type = float32
   Acc sensor x axis value

5. ~accy
   type = float32
   Acc sensor y axis value

6. ~accz
   type = float32
   Acc sensor z axis value

7. ~gyrox
   type = float32
   Gyro sensor x axis value

8. ~gyroy
   type = float32
   Gyro sensor y axis value

9. ~gyroz
   type = float32
   Gyro sensor z axis value

10. ~magx
    type = float32
    Mag sensor x axis value

11. ~magY
    type = float32
    Mag sensor y axis value

12. ~magZ
    type = float32
    Mag sensor z axis value

13. ~alt
    type = float32
    Alt value from drone

14. ~battery
    type = float32
    vbat from drone

15. ~rssi
    type = int32
    RSSI value of drone wifi

Application

Joystick

The package uses following axes and buttons index to control drone:

* Note : To change this mapping use plutojoystick.h

Keyboard

The package uses following keys to control drone:

ROSTopic PlutoMsg

PlutoMsg can be used to control drone

• ARM
  

rostopic pub /drone_command plutodrone/PlutoMsg "{rcRoll: 1500, rcPitch: 1500, rcYaw: 1500, rcThrottle: 1000, rcAUX1: 1500, rcAUX2: 1500, rcAUX3: 1500, rcAUX4: 1500}"

* For more details on how to PlutoMsg to control drone use link

Multiple Drones

* Following is the procedure to control multiple drones within the same network:

1. Setting the drone in client mode: Connect to drone wifi and use following command to open telnet connection:

telnet 192.168.4.1 // drone wifi ip

2. Set the drone in both Station(STA) and Access Point Mode(AP) :

+++AT MODE 3

3. Set the ssid and password:

+++AT STA ssid password

4. Add IPs: Start hotspot and drone should connect to the hotspot. Note the IP address assigned to it. Edit following lines in PlutoSwarm.cpp. Repeat this for all new drones which are added to the network.

all_ips.push_back("192.168.43.151"); 
all_ips.push_back("");

5. Send data: Use PlutoMsg to send RC data to drone and add plutoIndex in every PlutoMsg command. This index is the same as the index of the IP within 'all_ips' vector.

* Note: This feature is possible with ESP wifi and will not work over camera wifi of Pluto/PlutoX.

Contact

For any queries related to this package comment on github repo or mail on developers@dronaaviation.com

Acknowledgments

This package is improved version of https://github.com/simmubhangu/pluto_drone.git

Thanks to e-yantra team for developing original version of this package.

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