Aerial Robotics and ROS 2
So far in this book, we have explored various methods for interacting with and controlling mobile ground robots and manipulators. However, another important class of mobile robots has emerged over the past few decades: aerial robots. These are often referred to by different names, such as drones, multicopters, or, more commonly, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Like ground-based robots, UAVs can perform service tasks, such as area exploration or inventory management. Because they can fly, UAVs are often faster and more reliable for certain tasks. However, their autonomy introduces additional challenges.
In this chapter, we will first examine the basic structure and equipment of aerial robots. Then, we will demonstrate how to simulate a UAV using Gazebo, integrated with ROS 2, along with the most used control stack for managing these advanced robotic systems: the PX4 control stack.
We will cover the following main topics in the chapter:
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