🚀 SLAM-ing Mars 🔴

🌌 Mission Overview

Transform your Husky + UR3 robot into a Mars explorer! This comprehensive assignment combines mobile navigation with manipulation in realistic Mars environments.

🤖 Robot Configuration

Base: Clearpath Husky (4-wheel differential drive)
Arm: UR3 6-DOF manipulator
Gripper: Robotis gripper for sample collection
Sensors:
- RGB-D camera for visual SLAM
- LiDAR for terrain mapping
- IMU for orientation in low gravity
SLAM: RTAB-Map or custom implementation

🔴 Mars Environment Features

Authentic Mars Terrain: Rocky, uneven surfaces
Reduced Gravity: 38% of Earth's gravity
Dust Storms: Dynamic visibility challenges
Craters & Obstacles: Natural Mars formations
Red/Orange Atmosphere: Realistic Mars coloring
NASA-Inspired: Based on real Mars rover data

🎯 Learning Objectives

Mobile Navigation

Autonomous path planning
Obstacle avoidance
SLAM in unknown terrain
Navigate through crater fields

Manipulation Skills

MoveIt2 motion planning
Pick and place operations
Visual servoing
Sample collection

System Integration

ROS2 architecture design
Sensor fusion techniques
Real-time control systems
Performance optimization

🪐 Mars Gazebo Worlds

Available Mars Environments

🏔️ Jezero Crater

Ancient river delta with diverse geological features. Perfect for navigation challenges.

ros2 launch mars_worlds jezero_crater.launch.py

🏜️ Olympus Mons Base

Explore the largest volcano in the solar system. Extreme terrain for advanced users.

ros2 launch mars_worlds olympus_mons.launch.py

🏕️ Mars Base Alpha

Simulated research station with sample collection zones and charging stations.

ros2 launch mars_worlds base_alpha.launch.py

Installing Mars Terrain Packages

                        # Clone the Mars worlds repository
cd ~/ros2_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/kulbir-ahluwalia/mars_gazebo_worlds.git
git clone https://github.com/LRCJ/GazeboMarsRover2.git

# Install dependencies
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-gazebo-ros-pkgs
sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-gazebo-msgs

# Build the workspace
cd ~/ros2_ws
colcon build --packages-select mars_gazebo_worlds
source install/setup.bash
                    

Custom World Configuration

Create your own Mars exploration scenario by modifying world files:

                        <?xml version="1.0"?>
<sdf version="1.6">
  <world name="mars_exploration">
    <!-- Mars sky and lighting -->
    <include>
      <uri>model://mars_sky</uri>
    </include>

    <!-- Jezero Crater terrain -->
    <include>
      <uri>model://jezero_crater_terrain</uri>
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
    </include>

    <!-- Add rock samples for collection -->
    <include>
      <uri>model://mars_rock_sample</uri>
      <pose>5 5 0.5 0 0 0</pose>
      <name>sample_01</name>
    </include>
  </world>
</sdf>
                    

🛠️ Complete Setup & Installation

Prerequisites

ROS2 Jazzy or Humble installed
Gazebo 11 or newer
NVIDIA GPU recommended (GTX 1060 or better)
16GB RAM minimum

Step 1: Environment Setup

Configure ROS2 Jazzy/Humble with Gazebo Harmonic

                                source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
cd ~/assignment4_ws
mkdir -p src
                            

Step 2: Clone Repositories

Get Husky UR3 simulator and Mars worlds

                                cd ~/assignment4_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/kulbir-ahluwalia/husky_ur3_simulation.git
git clone https://github.com/kulbir-ahluwalia/mars_gazebo_worlds.git
                            

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Install required ROS2 packages

                                cd ~/assignment4_ws
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y
pip3 install transforms3d
                            

Step 4: Build Workspace

Compile all packages

                                colcon build --packages-select husky_ur3_simulation mars_gazebo_worlds
source install/setup.bash
                            

Step 5: Launch Mars Environment

Start the complete simulation

                                # Launch Mars world with Husky robot
ros2 launch mars_gazebo_worlds mars_husky_slam.launch.py

# In a new terminal, launch SLAM
ros2 launch mars_gazebo_worlds mars_slam.launch.py

# Start teleoperation (optional)
ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard
                            

🎮 Controller Configuration

Make sure your controllers.yaml includes the command_interface parameter:

                        base_controller:
  ros__parameters:
    type: diff_drive_controller/DiffDriveController
    command_interface: "velocity"  # Critical for movement!
    left_wheel_names: ["front_left_wheel", "rear_left_wheel"]
    right_wheel_names: ["front_right_wheel", "rear_right_wheel"]
                    

🎯 SLAM Tasks & Requirements

Assignment 4 Part 2: Mars SLAM Challenge (75 points)

Basic Navigation (15 pts): Navigate through Mars crater field
Sample Collection (15 pts): Use manipulator to collect Mars rocks
Map Generation (15 pts): Create complete 2D/3D map of environment
Loop Closure (10 pts): Demonstrate successful loop closure in Mars terrain
Obstacle Avoidance (10 pts): Navigate around Mars boulders autonomously
Technical Report (10 pts): Document SLAM performance on Mars

🌟 Bonus Challenge: Mars Dust Storm (10 extra points)

Complete SLAM during a simulated Mars dust storm with reduced visibility!

                        # Enable dust storm mode
ros2 param set /mars_environment enable_dust_storm true
ros2 param set /mars_environment dust_density 0.7
                    

📊 Performance Metrics

Metric	Earth Performance	Mars Challenge	Points
Map Completeness	>95%	>90% in Mars terrain	15
Localization Error	<10cm	<20cm with reduced traction	10
Loop Closure Success	100%	>80% in dust conditions	10
Sample Collection	N/A	5+ Mars rocks collected	15

📁 Submission Requirements

Rosbag Recording: 5-minute Mars exploration (include /tf, /map, /odom)
Generated Maps: 2D occupancy grid + 3D pointcloud of Mars terrain
Video Demo: Screen recording showing SLAM in action (3-5 minutes)
Technical Report: 3-page analysis of SLAM performance on Mars
Code: Your SLAM implementation or configuration files

🎯 Pro Tips for Success

Start with flat Mars terrain before attempting craters
Use higher loop closure thresholds for dusty conditions
Implement sensor fusion early to handle wheel slip
Test in Earth gravity first, then switch to Mars
Save intermediate maps in case of crashes

🚨 Troubleshooting Guide

Problem: The robot doesn't respond to velocity commands
Solution: Add command_interface: "velocity" to your controllers.yaml file

                                    base_controller:
  ros__parameters:
    command_interface: "velocity"  # Add this line!
                                

Problem: Gazebo crashes with OpenGL errors
Solution: Set software rendering mode

                                    export LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1
export MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.3
ros2 launch husky_ur3_simulation gazebo_sim.launch.py
                                

Problem: Reduced traction on sandy Mars surface
Solution: Adjust wheel odometry covariance and use IMU fusion

                                    # Increase odometry uncertainty
ros2 param set /husky_controller odom_covariance_xy 0.1
ros2 param set /ekf_filter imu_weight 0.8
                                

Problem: UR3 arm overshoots in 38% gravity
Solution: Adjust PID gains for Mars gravity

                                    # Mars gravity compensation
ros2 param set /ur3_controller gravity_compensation 3.71
ros2 param set /ur3_controller pid_p 0.6
                                

Problem: Feature detection difficult in monochrome Mars environment
Solution: Tune visual feature detectors for Mars

                                    # Adjust RTAB-Map parameters for Mars
ros2 param set /rtabmap Vis/FeatureType 6  # ORB features
ros2 param set /rtabmap Vis/MaxFeatures 2000
ros2 param set /rtabmap RGBD/OptimizeMaxError 0.5
                                

Problem: TF transform lookup fails with timeout
Solution: Increase timeout in launch files

                                    # In your launch file, increase timeout
transform_timeout = 5.0  # Increase from default 1.0
                                

📚 Resources & Demo Materials

📹 Video Tutorials

📄 Documentation

🎮 Gripper Control Commands

Open Gripper

                                ros2 topic pub -1 /rh_p12_rn_position/command std_msgs/msg/Float64 '{data: 0.0}'
                            

Close Gripper

                                ros2 topic pub -1 /rh_p12_rn_position/command std_msgs/msg/Float64 '{data: 1.05}'
                            

🔧 Useful Scripts

Launch Script (8 terminals)

Automated bash script for complete setup

Download Script

GPU Test Script

Check if GPU acceleration is working

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

Controller Check

Verify controllers are loaded

ros2 control list_controllers

🚀 NASA Mars Data

🔗 GitHub Repositories

🏆 Student Mars Mission Showcase

Submit Your Mars Mission!

Successfully completed the Mars exploration challenge? Share your achievement!

Record a 2-minute highlight video of your best Mars navigation
Include autonomous sample collection sequence
Submit via Gradescope with hashtag #MarsCS498GC

🌟 Hall of Fame - Fall 2025

Outstanding Mars exploration implementations will be featured here!

🥇 Best Navigation

Awaiting submissions...

Criteria: Fastest crater traversal with obstacle avoidance

🥈 Best Manipulation

Awaiting submissions...

Criteria: Most samples collected in 30 seconds

🥉 Most Creative

Awaiting submissions...

Criteria: Innovative approach to Mars exploration

📊 Leaderboard Metrics

Metric	Current Record	Holder	Date
Fastest Crater Crossing	-	-	-
Most Samples Collected	-	-	-
Longest Autonomous Run	-	-	-
Most Accurate SLAM Map	-	-	-

🚀 Challenge Yourself!

Beginner Challenges

Navigate to 3 waypoints autonomously
Pick up and place a single rock sample
Create a 2D map of the crater
Complete basic teleoperation course

Advanced Challenges

Implement visual SLAM with loop closure
Autonomous sample sorting by size
Multi-robot coordination demo
Navigate during dust storm conditions

🚀 Student Testimonial

"Even I could not sleep last night because I was so excited SLAMing on MARS!!" - Enthusiastic CS498GC Student

Get ready to roll on the Red Planet! 🔴

Important Deadlines

Quick Start

🌌 Mission Overview

🤖 Robot Configuration

🔴 Mars Environment Features

🎯 Learning Objectives

Mobile Navigation

Manipulation Skills

System Integration

🪐 Mars Gazebo Worlds

Available Mars Environments

🏔️ Jezero Crater

🏜️ Olympus Mons Base

🏕️ Mars Base Alpha

Installing Mars Terrain Packages

Custom World Configuration

🛠️ Complete Setup & Installation

Prerequisites

Step 1: Environment Setup

Step 2: Clone Repositories

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Step 4: Build Workspace

Step 5: Launch Mars Environment

🎮 Controller Configuration

🎯 SLAM Tasks & Requirements

Assignment 4 Part 2: Mars SLAM Challenge (75 points)

🌟 Bonus Challenge: Mars Dust Storm (10 extra points)

📊 Performance Metrics

📁 Submission Requirements

🎯 Pro Tips for Success

🚨 Troubleshooting Guide

Robot not moving (diff_drive_controller issue)

GPU/Qt5 errors on UTM/Virtual Machine

Wheel Slippage on Mars Terrain

Low Gravity Arm Control

Visual SLAM in Red Environment

Transform timeout errors

📚 Resources & Demo Materials

📹 Video Tutorials

📄 Documentation

🎮 Gripper Control Commands

Open Gripper

Close Gripper

🔧 Useful Scripts

Launch Script (8 terminals)

GPU Test Script

Controller Check

🚀 NASA Mars Data

🔗 GitHub Repositories

🏆 Student Mars Mission Showcase

Submit Your Mars Mission!

🌟 Hall of Fame - Fall 2025

🥇 Best Navigation

🥈 Best Manipulation

🥉 Most Creative

📊 Leaderboard Metrics

🚀 Challenge Yourself!

Beginner Challenges

Advanced Challenges

🚀 Student Testimonial