TortoiseBot — ROS 2 Humble

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Installation • Workspace Setup • Simulation • Real Robot • More Wiki Resources

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1. Installation

1.1 Required Dependencies

Install all required ROS 2 Humble packages:

sudo apt install \
  ros-humble-joint-state-publisher \
  ros-humble-robot-state-publisher \
  ros-humble-cartographer \
  ros-humble-cartographer-ros \
  ros-humble-teleop-twist-keyboard \
  ros-humble-teleop-twist-joy \
  ros-humble-xacro \
  ros-humble-nav2-bringup \
  ros-humble-navigation2 \
  ros-humble-urdf \
  ros-humble-robot-localization \
  ros-humble-ros-gz-bridge \
  ros-humble-ros-gz-sim \
  ros-humble-ros-gz-interfaces

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2. Workspace Setup

2.1 Clone the Repository

Clone the repository on both your robot and your remote PC:

mkdir -p ~/tb_ws/src && cd ~/tb_ws/src
git clone -b ros2-humble https://github.com/rigbetellabs/tortoisebot.git

2.2 Build the Workspace

cd ~/tb_ws
colcon build
source install/setup.bash

Remote PC Note: When building on a remote PC, exclude hardware-specific packages (LiDAR, camera, firmware) that are only required on the robot itself:

colcon build --packages-ignore ydlidar_sdk ydlidar_ros2_driver v4l2_camera tortoisebot_firmware tortoisebot_imu

2.3 Key Launch Arguments

autobringup.launch.py is the single entry point for all operating modes:

Argument	True	False
use_sim_time	Ignition Gazebo simulation	Real robot hardware
exploration	SLAM — build a new map	Navigation — use a saved map

2.4 Available Launch Files

Category	Launch File	Purpose
Main	autobringup.launch.py	All-in-one bringup (sim + real, SLAM + nav)
Main	bringup.launch.py	Simulation only (no nav stack)
SLAM	cartographer.launch.py	Cartographer SLAM node
Navigation	navigation_slam.launch.py	Nav2 stack during SLAM
Navigation	navigation_mapbased.launch.py	Nav2 with AMCL on a saved map
Navigation	save_map.launch.py	Save current Cartographer map to disk
Visualization	rviz.launch.py	RViz2 sensor & map visualization
Sim	ignition_sim.launch.py	Ignition Gazebo simulation
Sim	gazebo.launch.py	Gazebo Classic simulation

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3. Simulation

The TortoiseBot simulation runs inside Ignition Gazebo with full ROS 2 Humble integration. RViz2 launches automatically alongside Gazebo, providing a live side-by-side view of the robot's sensor data, SLAM map, and navigation stack.

3.1 Teleoperation in Simulation

Drive the robot manually using the keyboard teleop:

# Terminal 1 — Launch Gazebo + RViz + SLAM
ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup autobringup.launch.py use_sim_time:=True exploration:=True

# Terminal 2 — Keyboard teleoperation
ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard

3.2 Autonomous Exploration & SLAM Mapping

The robot maps the environment autonomously using Cartographer SLAM. Use the 2D Nav Goal button in RViz2 to send exploration goals:

ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup autobringup.launch.py use_sim_time:=True exploration:=True

3.3 Autonomous Navigation on a Saved Map

Once a map has been built and saved, the robot localizes itself using AMCL (Adaptive Monte Carlo Localization) and navigates autonomously to any goal point:

# Step 1 — Save the map after exploration
ros2 launch tortoisebot_navigation save_map.launch.py map_name:=/home/vn/tb_ws/maps/my_map

# Step 2 — Navigate using the saved map
ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup autobringup.launch.py use_sim_time:=True exploration:=False map_file:=/home/vn/tb_ws/maps/my_map.yaml

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4. Real Robot

4.1 Network Setup — Connecting the Robot to Your Wi-Fi

Before powering up the robot for the first time, configure Wi-Fi credentials directly on the SD card.

Recommended: Perform these steps on a Linux or macOS machine.

1. Insert the SD card into your computer using a card reader.
2. Navigate to the writable partition, then to /etc/netplan/.
3. Open 50-cloud-init.yaml in a text editor.
4. Locate the wifis section and add your credentials:

wlan0:
  optional: true
  access-points:
    "your_wifi_ssid":
      password: "your_wifi_password"
  dhcp4: true

Example configuration:

5. Save the file and exit the text editor.
6. Safely eject the SD card and insert it into the robot.

The robot will connect to your Wi-Fi network automatically on the next boot.

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4.2 SSH into the Robot

After powering on the robot, obtain its IP address (displayed on its OLED screen or found via your router's device list):

Connect to the robot from your PC terminal:

ssh tortoisebot@<ROBOT_IP_ADDRESS>
# Example: ssh tortoisebot@192.168.0.120
# Password: raspberry

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4.3 Sensor Data Visualization

Step 1 — On the Robot (SSH Terminal 1): Source ROS 2 Humble and launch all sensors and actuators:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup bringup.launch.py use_sim_time:=False

Step 2 — On your PC (Terminal 1): Source your workspace and start keyboard teleoperation:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source ~/tb_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard

Step 3 — On your PC (Terminal 2): Launch RViz2 to visualize all sensor streams:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source ~/tb_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_description rviz.launch.py

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4.4 Exploration Mode — SLAM Mapping on Real Robot

Step 1 — On the Robot (SSH Terminal 1): Launch the robot in exploration mode:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup autobringup.launch.py use_sim_time:=False exploration:=True

Step 2 — On your PC: Source and visualize the live map:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source ~/tb_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_description rviz.launch.py

Teleoperate the robot to map the environment, or use the Nav2 Goal button in RViz2 to send autonomous exploration goals.

Step 3 — Save the map (SSH Terminal 2 on Robot):

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/my_room_map

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4.5 Navigation on a Saved Map — Real Robot

Step 1 — Place the robot at approximately the same starting position used during mapping.

Step 2 — On the Robot (SSH Terminal 1): Launch navigation with the saved map:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_bringup autobringup.launch.py \
  use_sim_time:=False \
  exploration:=False \
  map:=~/maps/my_room_map.yaml

Step 3 — On your PC: Visualize and send navigation goals:

source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
source ~/tb_ws/install/setup.bash
ros2 launch tortoisebot_description rviz.launch.py

Use the Nav2 Goal button in RViz2 to set a target pose and watch the robot navigate autonomously!

Multiple Robot Setup: If operating more than one TortoiseBot on the same network, assign a unique domain ID to each robot to prevent cross-talk:

export ROS_DOMAIN_ID=0   # Set a unique integer per robot (0–101)

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5. More Wiki Resources

The TortoiseBot documentation is continuously maintained and updated by the team at RigBetel Labs. The full wiki covers hardware assembly, OS flashing, advanced configuration, and project showcases.

Resource	Link
🚀 Getting Started	Wiki — Getting Started
🔧 Hardware Assembly	Wiki — Hardware Assembly
⚙️ TortoiseBot Setup	Wiki — TortoiseBot Setup
💻 Server PC Setup	Wiki — Server PC Setup
🎮 Running Demos	Wiki — Running Demos
💬 Community Discord	Join the Community

Don't forget to ⭐ Star this repository to stay updated with the latest releases and show your support for the team!

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TortoiseBot is designed, assembled, and maintained by the team at

RigBetel Labs LLP®
Charholi Bk., via. Loheagaon, Pune – 412105, MH, India 🇮🇳

🌐 RigBetelLabs.com  |  📞 +91-8432152998  |  📨 info@rigbetellabs.com

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