AlohaMini-Simulation#

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Please confirm the applicable models based on the hardware configuration on this page.

AlohaMini preview

This directory contains the simulation and visualization assets for AlohaMini. It provides dual-stack support for both ROS 1 and ROS 2, enabling high-fidelity visualization in RViz and physics-based testing in Gazebo.

ROS 2 — Build & Run (colcon)#

These instructions target ROS 2 (colcon-based workspaces). Adjust the distro names (Foxy/Galactic/Humble/Jazzy) as needed.

  1. Install prerequisites (example):

# install colcon and ros dependencies (example for Ubuntu)
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-colcon-common-extensions python3-rosdep

  1. Build the workspace:

cd simulation
colcon build

  1. Source the overlay before running:

source install/setup.bash

  1. (Optional) Force FastDDS as the RMW implementation:

export RMW_IMPLEMENTATION=rmw_fastrtps_cpp

  1. Run RViz2 visualization (example):

ros2 launch Aloha display.launch.py  # RViz2 visualization

Notes for ROS 2:

  • Ensure you installed ROS 2 for your target distro and that source /opt/ros/<distro>/setup.bash is present in your shell if needed.

  • If using mixed ROS1/ROS2 setups, configure the ROS1-ROS2 bridge separately.

ROS 1 — Build & Run (catkin)#

These instructions target ROS 1 (catkin-based workspaces) such as Melodic or Noetic.

  1. Create a catkin workspace and place the repository in src:

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws/src
cd ~/catkin_ws/src
# assuming AlohaMini repository is already cloned
ln -s /path/to/AlohaMini/simulation ~/catkin_ws/src/Aloha
cd ~/catkin_ws

  1. Install and resolve dependencies with rosdep:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-rosdep
sudo rosdep init   # only if rosdep isn't initialized yet
rosdep update
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y

  1. Build with catkin_make:

catkin_make
source devel/setup.bash

Or build with catkin_tools (catkin build):

sudo apt install -y python3-catkin-tools
cd ~/catkin_ws
catkin build
source devel/setup.bash

  1. Run ROS 1 launch files:

roslaunch Aloha display.launch       # RViz visualization
roslaunch Aloha gazebo.launch        # Gazebo visualization

Notes for ROS 1:

  • These commands are intended for Linux (Ubuntu). For Windows, use WSL or a Linux VM for better ROS1 support.

  • If you see missing packages, double-check that package names and dependencies match your ROS distro (Melodic vs Noetic).

Troubleshooting#

  • If RViz/RViz2 does not show robot models, ensure robot_state_publisher is running and /tf topics are being published.

  • For mixed ROS1/ROS2 systems, verify your ROS1-ROS2 bridge configuration and topic remapping.

  • If launches fail due to missing dependencies, run rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -r -y in the workspace root.

Acknowledgements#

This module was originally developed as a standalone repository, lemon198/AlohaMini-Simulation, and later integrated into the main AlohaMini project.