VOLTA

ROS Software Maintainer: Botsync

Website: https://botsync.co

Branch: melodic-devel

Botsync Volta is a compact, sleek and low-profile indoor platform designed to support your robotics research and education needs. From testing your latest navigation and mapping algorithms to supporting your automation or robotics courses, Volta can be used for a wide variety of indoor applications.

You can find out more details about us at our website or you can drop us an email at contact@botsync.co.

Software Installation

• The following are instructions on installing Volta Software on your devices:
  1. Installing Volta Software

     • Download repository for Volta (Physical Robot)

     • Download repository for Volta_Simulation

     The default branch is melodic-devel

  2. Adding a Source Workspace

ROS on Volta

• The following are tutorials on how to use Volta with the Robot Operating System.
  1. Operating Volta in a Simulated Environment

     • Launching a Gazebo Simulation environment

     • Mapping an environment with Volta simulation

     • Running AMCL with Volta simulation

  2. Operating the physical robot

     • Launching the Navigation Stack with Volta

Packages

• The available ROS packages in Volta and their purposes are listed below.

  volta_base	Bring up Package for Volta. Package contains launch files to connect to the robot and run the sensor driver
  volta_control	Contains configuration required for ROS control.
  volta_description	Contains the URDF files for the robot and the launch files for running Gazebo Simulations and opening RViz visualization.
  volta_localization	Contains configuration for sensor fusion of wheel odometry and IMU data using the robot localization package.
  volta_msgs	Contains ROS messages specific to Volta such as the power board messages, etc.
  volta_navigation	Contains launch files required for running gmapping, amcl and move_base.
  volta_teleoperator	Contains configuration files and launch files for activating keyboard or joystick teleoperation.
  volta_rules	Contains scripts for detecting sensors with a USB interface, connected to the PC, and making them identifiable by the PC via specific names.

• Please refer to Volta Topics for available ROS topics and Sensor Topics.

Configuration Control

• Volta is setup using the teleop_twist_mux package. Refer to below for the command instruction priorities.

  Command Topic	Priority
  /nav/cmd_vel	50
  /user/cmd_vel	70
  /keyboard/cmd_vel	80
  /joy/cmd_vel	90
  e_stop_status	100

Setting up and Operating Physical Volta

• The following description and links are the tutorials on how to set up and operate the physical robot.

  1. Setting up Volta for the first time

     • Push the power button at the back of Volta to turn on the system before commencing this tutorial.

  2. Volta Bringup background service