Servo - December 2014

Figure 1.

Step #3: Setting Up the Neato With ROS

However, you most likely will get an error similar to this: No such file or directory: ‘/dev/ttyUSB0.’

Look at the rear left side of the Neato device; you will see the power input, as well as a small rubber flap next to it (Figure 1). Use something flat to pry out the rubber piece. Behind it, you will find a mini-B USB input. Plug your computer in and turn on the robot.

This is easily fixed. Go to the neato_robot/neato_node/ launch folder and open bringup.launch into your favorite text editor.

Find the line <param name=”port” value=”/dev /ttyUSB0” /> and edit it to look like this: <param name=”port” value=”/dev/ttyACM0” /> (the change is in bold).

Open the terminal and enter lsusb; find the Neato device (mine was ID 2108:780b).

Then, type in the following: After this change, everything should launch with no problem and you will hear the laser spin up. (Remember, sometimes you need to launch multiple times for the Neato to start up.)

To terminate the node, press Ctrl+C.

sudo modprobe usbserial vendor=0x2108
product=0x780b

Note: You may get a couple warnings at launch regarding queue_size. They are of no significant importance and you should ignore them.

A /dev/tty device should now be connected.

However, you cannot access the device until you give it read and write permissions.

This is done like so:

Step #5: Downloading and Using the Keyboard Teleop Package

sudo chmod a+rw /dev/ttyUSB0

Go to cd then to the src folder located in your catkin workspace (cd ~/catkin_ws/src).

(This and the previous command need to be run every time you plug in the device.)

Download the package (you need svn; you can install it by using sudo apt-get install subversion) svn co

Step #4: Starting the Neato Node

http://brown-ros-pkg.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/
distribution/brown_remotelab/teleop_twist_key
board/ (package developed by Graylin Trevor Jay).

Now use roslaunch neato_node bringup.launch to launch the Neato node; you will hear the laser spin up, and the device will begin to slightly “crawl” forward.