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# Technical requirements

In the https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots organization on GitHub
are the required ROS packages to set up a differential drive robot.
One of the main software repositories is https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/diffbot.
It includes packages for simulation and the configurations and software to operate a real
robot and interact with it from a development PC. For the hardware, you can build your
own two- or four-wheeled differential drive robot similar to the one present in the
`diffbot_description` package or 3D print a more stable Remo robot with the stl files in
https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/remo_description.

The next two sections describe the technical requirements for the software and hardware.
To get started with building a ROS-based mobile robot, this section outlines the essential software and hardware you'll need. We'll explore key resources from the https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots organization on GitHub and provide options for building your own robot or using a pre-designed platform. Later sections will delve deeper into specific software installation and hardware components.

!!! info
This technical requirements page is here to give you an overview of what is required to get your robot up
and running. You can already follow the steps in practice but they will be also
mentioned in later sections (in more detail) when they are really needed.
This technical requirements page is here to give you an overview of what is required to get your robot up and running.
You can already follow the steps in practice but they will be also mentioned in later sections (in more detail) when they are really needed.

## Software requirements

One of the main software repositories is https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/diffbot.
It includes packages for simulation and the configurations and software to operate a real
robot and interact with it from a development PC (or dev machine).

The following sections give an overview about which software will be used:

- [Operating Systems](#operating-system)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -84,97 +78,18 @@ same local network and to enable the ssh protocol, to connect from the developme
sudo apt install openssh-server
```

### Hardware Interface

Another interface setup that is needed to work with the microcontroller, is to add your
user to the `dialout` group on both machines, the SBC and the development PC. This can
be done with the following command, followed by a system reboot:

```console
sudo adduser <username> dialout
```

### Source Dependencies

When you clone the diffbot repository in a new catkin workspace, you will find two
YAML files, `diffbot_dev.repos` and `remo_robot.repos`, that list required source
dependencies together with their version control type, the repository address, and a
relative path where these dependencies are cloned. `remo_robot.repos` is here to clone
source dependencies on the real robot.

To make use of such YAML files and clone the listed dependencies, we use the commands
from [`vcstool`](http://wiki.ros.org/vcstool), which replaces
[`wstool`](http://wiki.ros.org/wstool):

1. Install vcstool using the command:

```console
sudo apt install python3-vcstool
```

2. In a new catkin workspace, clone the diffbot repository inside the src folder:

```console
ros_ws/src$ git clone https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/diffbot.git
```

for a specific tag (e.g. 1.0.0) you can use the following command:

```console
ros_ws/src$ git clone --depth 1 --branch 1.0.0 https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/diffbot.git
```

3. Make sure to execute the `vcs import` command from the root of the catkin
workspace and pipe in the `diffbot_dev.repos` or `remo_robot.repos`
YAML file, depending on where you execute the command, either the development
PC or the SBC of Remo to clone the listed dependencies:

```console
vcs import < src/diffbot/diffbot_dev.repos
```

4. Execute the next command on the SBC of the robot:
```console
vcs import < src/diffbot/remo_robot.repos
```

### Binary Dependencies

After obtaining the source dependencies with `vcstool`, we can compile the workspace.
To successfully compile the packages of the repository, binary dependencies must be
installed. As the required dependencies are specified in each ROS package's `package.xml`,
the rosdep command can install the required ROS packages from the Ubuntu repositories:

```console
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y
```

### Build ROS Workspace

Finally, the workspaces on the development machine and the SBC of the robot need to
be built, either using `catkin_make` or catkin tools. `catkin_make` comes pre-installed with ROS.

=== "catkin tools"

```console
catkin build
```

=== "`catkin_make`"

```console
catkin_make
```


## Hardware requirements

For the hardware, you can build your
own two- or four-wheeled differential drive robot similar to the one present in the
`diffbot_description` package or 3D print a more stable Remo robot with the stl files in
https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/remo_description.

The repository at https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/remo_description contains the
robot description of Remo. Remo is a modular mobile robot platform, which is based on
NVIDIA's JetBot. The currently available parts can be 3D printed using the provided
stl files in the [`remo_description`](https://github.com/ros-mobile-robots/remo_description) repository.
To do this, you either need a 3D printer with a recommended build volume of 15x15x15 cm or to use
a local or online 3D print service. Further details are found in [hardware setup](hardware_setup/3D_print.md).

On the following [components](#components) page you find a bill of materials and more details about each part.
On the following [components](#components) page you find a bill of materials and more details about each part.

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