Unitree Go1 Hardware Interface

Welcome to the Unitree Go1 Hardware Interface repository. This project provides a hardware interface for remote control and autonomous navigation of the Unitree Go1 robot via a web interface. It supports advanced functionalities including:

• Remote Control & Autonomous Navigation:
  Forward ROS topics from the Go1’s bottom Nano through the Go1’s Raspberry Pi's to an external PC. This allows the PC to run a rosbridge server and a web-based control interface for commanding the robot and visualizing its status (e.g., via RViz).

• K1 Arm Integration: The repository includes integration for a K1 robotic arm, which is mounted on the Go1 for object manipulation tasks (such as autonomous delivery). The K1 arm is controlled using NXROBO’s sagittarius_sdk together with our custom code. You can either run a standalone C++ application on its dedicated Pi or use an optional ROS package that provides a ROS-based interface to the same functionality.

• Hand Gesture Recognition:
  A separate hand gesture recognition project is also provided as a catkin workspace. This module can be used for gesture-based control or further research, while remaining independent from the main Go1 interface.

Note: This repository is structured for seamless team collaboration, allowing developers to pick up and extend the work where it left off.

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Overview

1. Autonomous Navigation:
   The Unitree Go1 is enabled for autonomous navigation through its hardware interface:

   • Network Configuration:
     The Go1’s Raspberry Pi is configured to enable IP forwarding and NAT (using iptables) to share ROS topics from the bottom Nano with an external control PC.
   • ROS Bridge & Web Interface:
     The control PC runs a rosbridge server that converts ROS topics to WebSocket messages, allowing remote control and visualization via a web interface.
   • ROS2 Integration Testing:
     Alternative ROS2-based methods were evaluated to determine the most reliable setup. Detailed test results and the rationale behind the final approach can be found in autonomous_navigation/ros2_integration.md.

2. K1 Arm Integration:
   The K1 arm, used for object manipulation, is controlled using NXROBO’s sagittarius_sdk combined with our custom code. Two implementations are available:

   • Standalone C++ Implementation:
     Run our custom C++ application (located in k1_arm/sdk_control/) on the dedicated Raspberry Pi attached to the K1 arm.
   • ROS Package Implementation:
     Build and launch the ROS package in k1_arm/ros_package/ to control the arm via ROS topics.

3. Hand Gesture Recognition:
   The hand gesture recognition module, provided as a separate catkin workspace in the hand_gesture/ folder, can be used for gesture-based control or research purposes.

Note: For more details on setup, usage, and technical documentation, refer to the README.md file in each component's folder.

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Getting Started

• Hardware Setup:
  Understand how the K1 arm and LiDAR are mounted and connected to the Go1, along with the Raspberry Pi setup for controlling the K1 arm. See autonomous_navigation/system_setup.md.

• Network Setup:
  Follow the steps in autonomous_navigation/system_setup.md to configure IP forwarding, NAT, and routing on the Go1’s Raspberry Pi and your control PC.

• Launching the ROS Bridge:
  On your control PC, run:

  roslaunch rosbridge_server rosbridge_websocket.launch address:=0.0.0.0 port:=9090

  Then, use your web interface (e.g., AutoEye) to subscribe to topics such as /cmd_vel and /map.

• K1 Arm Control:
  Choose your preferred method:

  • For the standalone C++ implementation, navigate to k1_arm/sdk_control/ and follow its README.
  • For the ROS package implementation, build and launch the package in k1_arm/ros_package/.

• Hand Gesture Recognition:
  See hand_gesture/README.md for instructions on running the gesture recognition system.

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Demo

Watch the demo video to see the system in action:
Demo Video

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Additional Resources

Explore the following resources for more detailed guides, SDKs, and external documentation:

• Go1 Operator Guide: Go1 Control and Navigation
• K1 Arm Operator Guide: K1 Arm Control and Integration
• K1 Arm SDK: NXROBO Sagittarius SDK