Course Resources

Welcome to the CS498GC Resource Center! This page contains supplementary materials, debugging guides, extra credit information, and archived Campuswire posts to help you succeed in Mobile Robotics.

📚 Extra Credit Materials

Quiz Extra Credit Resources

Available Guides:
Important Dates:
  • Quiz 2 Extra Credit: November 21, 2025 @ 11:00 PM
  • Quiz 3 Extra Credit: December 9, 2025 @ 11:00 PM

Submit high-quality PDF solutions for 5-7 bonus points per question!

Assignment 4 Extra Credit Resources

Available Guides:
Bonus Point Opportunities:
  • Super Early (Nov 7-9): +20 points
  • Early (Nov 9-14): +10 points
  • Mars Challenge: +10 points for Part 2

🔧 Debugging Guides & Campuswire Archive

Pro Tip: Before posting on Campuswire, check these common issues and solutions from previous student interactions!

Campuswire Posts Reference (Updated November 2025)

📍 Critical Posts to Review:
Post # Title Category
#9 ROS 2 HUMBLE INSTALLATION GUIDE Setup
#10 ASSIGNMENT 4 - PART 1 - MOBILE MANIPULATOR SETUP Assignment 4
#32 ASSIGNMENT 4 - OS OPTIONS AND GUIDANCE Assignment 4
#60 ODOMETRY - DEBUG HINTS ⚠️ CE1 Debug
#61 GPS - DEBUG HINTS ⚠️ CE1 Debug
#63 RVIZ2 VISUALIZATION COMPLETE CHEAT SHEET AND LINKS Tools
#64 CODING EXERCISE 1 HINTS CE1
#69 BASH SCRIPTS FOR CONSISTENT TERMINAL START Tools
#76 MOBILE ROBOTICS BOOK PDFs Resources
#85 CE1, ASSIGNMENT 4 HINTS Multiple
#102 ASSIGNMENT 4 PART 1 POST Assignment 4
#120 CODING EXERCISE 2 - STARTER CODE CORRECTION 🔧 CE2
#122 ASSIGNMENT 4 DEMO - LIVE SESSION RECORDING 🎥 Assignment 4
#141 QUIZ 2 LOGISTICS Quiz
#142 TA SUPPORT AND RESOURCES: LINKS AND CLARIFICATIONS Support
#148 ASSIGNMENT 4 UPDATES + LOGISTICS Assignment 4
#149 ASSIGNMENT 4 UPDATES + MORE RESOURCES Assignment 4
#151 📋 Assignment 4 Timeline Assignment 4
#159 $1,000 USD - Claude Code Promotion 💰 Tools
#160 CE2 DEADLINE FIXED to Nov 11 📅 CE2
#161 SLAM PRESENTATIONS BEGIN NOV 21, FRIDAY Presentations
#165 Assignment 4: PART1 + PART2: More LINKS, TEASER-PAPER Assignment 4
#166 Gripper: Prefer "Robotis" but "Robotiq" also works Assignment 4

🛠️ Common Debugging Issues

Coding Exercise 1 - Common Errors
❌ Odometry Issues (Post #60):
  • math.radians() on gyro data (already in rad/s!)
  • Using wheel differential for ω instead of gyroscope
  • Updating x,y before theta
  • Wrong dt calculation (use fixed 0.1s)
❌ GPS Issues (Post #61):
  • Adding GPS to odometry (should replace!)
  • Calculating theta from GPS (use gyro only!)
  • Not checking for None values
Assignment 4 - Common Issues
🤖 Robot Won't Move:
  • Missing command_interface: "velocity" in controllers.yaml
  • ROS2 Control not loaded properly
  • Check: ros2 control list_controllers
🖥️ Gazebo Issues:
  • NVIDIA driver conflicts
  • Use LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 for VMs
  • Python version mismatches

📖 Additional Resources

Claude AI Assistant:
Student Q&A Archives:

Check the course repository for archived Q&A sessions with students like Sonali, Dominick, Frank, and Mirielle who have encountered (and solved!) common issues.

Important Links:
Reference Materials:
  • 📖 ROS2 Humble Documentation
  • 📖 Gazebo Fortress Tutorials
  • 📖 MoveIt 2 Documentation
  • 📖 tf2 Transformation Library
💡 Success Tips:
  • Start assignments early - environment setup takes time!
  • Use office hours - TAs are here to help
  • Check Campuswire posts before asking repeated questions
  • Document your progress with screenshots for debugging
  • Collaborate responsibly - discuss approaches, but write your own code