This repo contains instructions and demo code for PX4 flight simulation in our containerized environment. A simple offboard control example is provided. To deploy this framework in container, click here.

• ROS Docker container and its installed packages
• PX4 configuration:
  • Get px4-autopilot codebase, git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive
  • Run setup bash script, bash ./PX4-Autopilot/Tools/setup/ubuntu.sh
  • Manually install kconfig-frontends by building from source
• QGC:QGroundControl
  • sudo apt-get install fuse
  • sudo apt-get install libpulse-dev
  • sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
  • sudo apt-get remove modemmanager -y
  • Manually download QGC appimage
    • Alert please install version:v4.1.5 (https://github.com/mavlink/qgroundcontrol/releases/download/v4.1.4/QGroundControl.AppImage) or lower, higher version may need to use qt5.15, which is not provided by ubuntu 20.04 LTS offically(5.12 instead), and QGC-v4.1.4 DONOT work on ubuntu 18.04, use 4.1.5 please
    • If you wanna use latest QGC, please upgrade your QT manually from qt official site and update env
• PX4 for gazebo
  • sudo apt install libgazebo9-dev
• Build PX4 firmwire from source code
  • Get Firmwire source code git clone https://github.com/PX4/Firmware.git
  • cd Firmware
  • Build firmwire by running make rostest or make px4_sitl_default
• Others:
  • sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-gl -y
  • pip3 install px4tools
  • It is highly recommended to install gnome-terminal (or any terminal you like) in container so we can launch multi terminals within the container's shell `.
  • Remember to save your change in docker by running docker commit <container_ID> <name>:<tag>

1. First, run docker container:

docker exec --user [USER_NAME] -it [CONTAINER_ID] bash

use Docker ps command to get CONTAINER_ID

2. Run commands in multipler terminals:

• terminal 1: roslaunch mavros px4.launch fcu_url:="udp://:[email protected]:14557"
• terminal 2: launch QGroundControl yourQGCpath/QGroundControl.AppImage
• terminal 3: launch gazebo visual interface make px4_sitl_default gazebo
• terminal 4: launch test script, in "px4sim/mavros-demo", run python3 mission_test.py MC_mission_box.plan
• terminal 5: rqt

Note that you need to turn on the Xserver for all users by typing "xhost +" on terminal 3 and/or others.

3. for Mavros diagnostics

rostopic echo /diagnostics -n1

TODO: https://github.com/Jaeyoung-Lim/mavros_controllers

1. https://gaas.gitbook.io/guide/software-realization-build-your-own-autonomous-drone/build-your-own-autonomous-drone-e01-offboard-control-and-gazebo-simulation
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxt0aBnBeJI