Simulate robot navigation inside Docker

Summary

Run Nav2 quickstart inside Docker

Why

• Reduce setup steps by getting ROS pre-installed
• Develop navigation applications in the safety of an isolated Docker environment
• Encourage development with ease of use

Specs

• Nav2
• ROS galactic Geochelone [switched from Humble for stability]
• tested on Ubuntu 20.04

Steps

1. Get docker image. Test that it’s working with this example

   docker pull osrf/ros:galactic-desktop
   

2. Connect docker to linux display

   export DISPLAY=:0.0
   xhost +local:docker
   

3. Run docker

   docker run -it --net=host --device /dev/dri/ -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v $HOME/.Xauthority:/root/.Xauthority:ro osrf/ros:galactic-desktop
   

4. Install nav2

   apt update
   apt install ros-galactic-navigation2 -y
   apt install ros-galactic-nav2-bringup -y
   apt install ros-galactic-turtlebot3* -y
   

5. Load ROS environment variables

   source /opt/ros/galactic/setup.bash
   export TURTLEBOT3_MODEL=waffle
   export GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH=$GAZEBO_MODEL_PATH:/opt/ros/galactic/share/turtlebot3_gazebo/models
   

6. Run navigation example

   ros2 launch nav2_bringup tb3_simulation_launch.py headless:=False
   

7. [Optional] Add workspace tools

   apt install vim -y
   apt install tmux -y
   

8. Save progress to workspace

   # in a separate terminal
   docker ps
   docker commit 3204cbea0e30 osrf/ros:galactic-desktop-nav2
   

Fixes for common errors

[ERROR] [rviz2-5]: process has died [pid 75, exit code -11, cmd '/opt/ros/galactic/lib/rviz2/rviz2 -d /opt/ros/galactic/share/nav2_bringup/rviz/nav2_default_view.rviz --ros-args']

• Run the following:

  export DISPLAY=:0.0
  xhost +local:docker
  

  Error: Non-unique names detected in type collision in <link name='camera_link'>

• reinstall turtlebot packages

  apt remove --purge ros-galactic-turtlebot3*
  apt install ros-galactic-turtlebot3* -y
  

References

[1] Trying out ROS2 galactic Hawksbill using Docker