ChoiRbot: A ROS 2 Toolbox for Cooperative Robotics

TL;DR

ChoiRbot is a ROS 2-based toolbox enabling the implementation and testing of distributed cooperative multi-robot control schemes, including optimization and feedback laws, in simulation and real-world experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a modular, open-source toolbox for distributed cooperative robotics based on ROS 2, supporting complex control schemes without a central coordinator.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated in simulations and experiments with mobile ground robots.

Supports distributed optimal control, model predictive control, and task assignment.

Facilitates implementation of distributed feedback laws without optimization.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce ChoiRbot, a toolbox for distributed cooperative robotics based on the novel Robot Operating System (ROS) 2. ChoiRbot provides a fully-functional toolset to execute complex distributed multi-robot tasks, either in simulation or experimentally, with a particular focus on networks of heterogeneous robots without a central coordinator. Thanks to its modular structure, ChoiRbot allows for a highly straight implementation of optimization-based distributed control schemes, such as distributed optimal control, model predictive control, task assignment, in which local computation and communication with neighboring robots are alternated. To this end, the toolbox provides functionalities for the solution of distributed optimization problems. The package can be also used to implement distributed feedback laws that do not need optimization features but do require the exchange of information among robots. The potential of the toolbox is illustrated with simulations and experiments on distributed robotics scenarios with mobile ground robots. The ChoiRbot toolbox is available at https://github.com/OPT4SMART/choirbot.