Configuring micro-ROS in PlatformIO Projects: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of configuring micro-ROS in PlatformIO projects. micro-ROS brings ROS 2 to microcontrollers, allowing you to integrate small, resource-constrained devices into your ROS 2 ecosystem. This guide will help you set up your environment, integrate micro-ROS into a PlatformIO project, and run a micro-ROS agent.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Git
• CMake
• Python 3 and pip

You can install them using the following command:

sudo apt install -y git cmake python3-pip        

Step 1: Set Up the PlatformIO Project

First, create a new PlatformIO project or navigate to your existing project directory. Ensure your platformio.ini file includes the micro-ROS library dependencies and configurations:

[env:your_env]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = arduino
lib_deps =
    https://github.com/micro-ROS/micro_ros_platformio
board_microros_distro = humble
board_microros_transport = serial        

Place your PlatformIO project in the ros2_ws/src directory to maintain organization and ease of access.

Step 2: Create a micro-ROS Workspace

Next, create a dedicated workspace for micro-ROS and download the necessary tools:

mkdir -p ~/microros_ws/src
cd ~/microros_ws
git clone -b $ROS_DISTRO https://github.com/micro-ROS/micro_ros_setup.git src/micro_ros_setup        

Step 3: Update Dependencies

Update your system and install the required dependencies using rosdep:

sudo apt update && rosdep update
rosdep install --from-paths src --ignore-src -y        

Step 4: Install Pip

Ensure you have pip installed for Python 3:

sudo apt-get install python3-pip        

Step 5: Build and Source micro-ROS Tools

Build the micro-ROS tools and source the setup script:

colcon build
source install/local_setup.bash        

Step 6: Create and Build the micro-ROS Agent Workspace

Create and build the micro-ROS agent workspace:

ros2 run micro_ros_setup create_agent_ws.sh
ros2 run micro_ros_setup build_agent.sh
source install/local_setup.bash        

Step 7: Run the micro-ROS Agent

Finally, run the micro-ROS agent to enable communication between your microcontroller and the ROS 2 ecosystem:

ros2 run micro_ros_agent micro_ros_agent serial --dev /dev/ttyUSB0        

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully configured micro-ROS in your PlatformIO project. This setup allows you to integrate your ESP32 or other microcontrollers into a ROS 2 network, enabling advanced robotics applications even on resource-constrained devices.

Feel free to explore further and adapt this setup to suit your specific needs. Happy coding!

By following these steps, you can seamlessly incorporate micro-ROS into your robotics projects, leveraging the power of ROS 2 on microcontrollers. For more detailed information and advanced configurations, refer to the official micro-ROS documentation and PlatformIO resources.