ROS2 Topic-Based Control with Diff Drive in Isaac Sim

Status
Open

Goal: Show how to control a simulated differential-drive robot in Isaac Sim through ROS 2 topics — sending velocity commands (/cmd_vel) and receiving odometry feedback (/odom).

Outline:

1. Why This Matters

  • Works with any diff-drive robot (TurtleBot, Carter, custom URDF, etc.).
  • Uses the same ROS 2 interfaces that real robots expect.
  • Lets you test navigation and teleop pipelines in sim before moving to hardware.

2. General Setup

  • Import or load a diff-drive robot into Isaac Sim.
  • Configure wheel joints so they respond to velocity commands.
  • Enable the ROS 2 bridge to exchange messages with ROS 2.

3. ROS 2 Connections

  • /cmd_vel → robot receives linear + angular velocity commands.
  • /odom → robot publishes odometry feedback (position, orientation, velocity).
  • Can be managed by diff_drive_controller or any node that publishes/subscribes to these topics.

4. Demo Flow

  1. Launch Isaac Sim with a diff-drive robot.
  2. Bridge topics to ROS 2.
  3. Send commands on /cmd_vel → robot moves forward or turns.
  4. Observe /odom feedback in RViz or terminal logs.

5. Recap & Next Steps

  • Topic-based diff-drive control in Isaac Sim
  • Standard ROS 2 interfaces: /cmd_vel and /odom

      • Next in Simulation

    1. Integrate with Nav2 for autonomous navigation
    2. Add LiDAR or cameras for mapping
    3. Try with your own custom robot exported from CAD/URDF

      4. Next on Real Robots

    4. Use the same ROS 2 setup on a physical diff-drive robot (TurtleBot, JetBot, custom build)
    5. Ensure the robot’s hardware drivers expose /cmd_vel and /odom
    6. Reuse your teleop, Nav2, or SLAM nodes without changing control logic
    7. Compare sim vs. real performance, and tune parameters (wheel radius, odometry noise, frame IDs)