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Remote Control

Introduction​

The Remote Control system allows operators to control the entire LunarBot — including chassis mobility and manipulator arm — using an XBOX 360 wireless joystick.

It integrates:

  • Chassis control (via vos_bringup)
  • Manipulator control (via rm_bringup)
  • Gripper operations (via message bridge + rm_driver)
  • Sensor visualization (via sensor_hardware)

Remote control requires both hardware (joystick, batteries, receiver) and software (ROS 2 launch files) to be properly configured.

Prerequisites​

Hardware​

  • Two 24V batteries powering chassis and manipulator.
  • Mini PC installed onboard LunarBot.
  • XBOX 360 wireless joystick + USB receiver.

Software​

  • ROS 2 Humble installed.
  • Lunar_Rover_Hardware_Ws workspace with all hardware packages:
    • vos_bringup (chassis)
    • rm_bringup (manipulator)
    • lunar_rover_remote (joystick interface)
    • message_bridge (gripper + trajectory bridging)
    • sensor_hardware (LiDAR integration, optional for visualization).

Network Setup​

  • Connect controller PC to WiFi hotspot:
    • SSID: REDMI
    • Password: dssl123456
  • Remote desktop access via TEAMVIEWER:
    • IP: 192.168.1.145
    • Password: dssl62794316

Remote Control Workflow​

Step 1 – Power On​

  1. Switch on both 24V batteries.
  2. Power up robotic arm.
  3. Power up chassis system.

Step 2 – Joystick Setup​

  1. Plug in XBOX 360 USB receiver.
  2. Switch on joystick; it must indicate connected to receiver 1.

Step 3 – Remote Access​

  1. From control PC, launch TEAMVIEWER.
  2. Connect to LunarBot mini PC using provided IP and password.

Step 4 – Launch Control Nodes​

Inside LunarBot’s remote desktop, open four terminals and run:

Terminal 1 – Joystick driver

sudo xboxdrv --silent

Must confirm joystick connected without errors, if not replug receiver and restart joystick.

Terminal 2 – Chassis bringup

Copy code
cd Lunar_Rover_Hardware_Ws
. ./install/setup.bash
ros2 launch vos_bringup vos_bringup.launch

Must print VOS_CONTROLLER IS ACTIVE, if not restart LunarBot and Mini PC.

Terminal 3 – Manipulator bringup

Copy code
cd Lunar_Rover_Hardware_Ws
. ./install/setup.bash
ros2 launch rm_bringup rm_75_bringup.launch.py

Launches rm_driver, rm_description, rm_control, and MoveIt2 config.

Terminal 4 – Remote control mapping

Copy code
cd Lunar_Rover_Hardware_Ws
. ./install/setup.bash
ros2 launch lunar_rover_remote remote.launch.py

This node maps joystick axes and buttons to LunarBot motion.

Step 5 – Operation​

  • Press button B + Joystick → Control chassis movement.
  • Joystick only → Control arm manipulator.
  • Gripper commands bridged via gripper_bridge_node (from message_bridge).

Package Integration​

  • vos_bringup → Initializes chassis hardware controllers
  • rm_bringup → Initializes manipulator arm, description, and drivers
  • message_bridge → Bridges joystick gripper commands to rm_driver
  • lunar_rover_remote → Reads joystick input and publishes commands to arm & chassis.
  • sensor_hardware → Optional LiDAR visualization in RViz

Troubleshooting​

Joystick Issues​

  • If sudo xboxdrv reports no device:
    • Replug USB receiver.
    • Restart joystick.
  • If joystick not controlling LunarBot:
    • In lunar_rover_remote launch files, check device ID.
    • Different USB ports may assign different device IDs

Chassis/Manipulator Not Responding​

  • Ensure both batteries are powered.
  • Restart vos_bringup and rm_bringup.

Gripper Not Moving​

  • Check if rm_driver is running.
  • Echo topic:
ros2 topic echo /rm_driver/set_gripper_position_cmd
  • If empty, restart gripper_bridge_node.

TEAMVIEWER Connection Fails​

  • Verify WiFi connection to REDMI hotspot.
  • Ping 192.168.1.145 from control PC.
  1. Power on chasssis + arm
  2. Connect joystick (check xboxdrv)
  3. Start bringup:
    • Chassis (vos_bringup)
    • Arm (rm_bringup)
    • Remote control (lunar_rover_remote)
  4. Drive LunarBot using joystick
  5. Plan motions with MoveIt2 if needed ( via rm_moveit2_config)
  6. Use LiDAR (sensor_hardware) for obstacle detection in RViz.

Safety Notes​

  • Always test joystick mapping in an open space.
  • Emergency stop: power off both 24V batteries.
  • Avoid rapid joystick switching, which may overload controller nodes.