copterControl.hpp

This repository provides a C++ library for controlling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using the Robot Operating System (ROS) and the MAVLink communication protocol. It specifically interacts with the MAVROS package, a ROS driver for autopilots like ArduPilot.

Flight Control API

• void initControler(ros::NodeHandle controller) : Used to initialize all the Publisher, Subscribers and Services that have been used by this library in its various functionalities.
• bool setMode(std::string mode = "GUIDED") : Used to communicate to the autopilot the Flight Mode that is to be used during operation. If no argument is given, it is set to be in GUIDED mode.
• bool arm() : Used for arming of the drone before operations begin.
• void cmdTakeoff(float alti) : Used to command the UAV to takeoff to an altitude specified by the argument alti. Each time this function is called it also stored the altitude in LOCAL_NED Frame to be used by the landing function.
• void cmdLand() : Used to safely return the UAV to the local ground as recorded by cmdTakeoff() in the global variable initAlti.

Control Functions

• void gotoPos(waypoint Target) : Used to define the target Pose(x,y,z,yaw) for the UAV to achive in LOCAL_NED Frame and wait till it is verified by the bool checkPosTgt(float linTol = 0.5, float orientTol = 0.1) function.
• void changeHeading(float yaw) : Used to change the heading of the UAV.
• void attainVel(float vx, float vy, float vz) : Used to define the target LinearTwist(Vx,Vy,Vz) for the UAV to achive in LOCAL_NED Frame and wait till it is verified by the bool checkVelTgt(float velTol = 0.01) function.
• void attainAccel(float ax, float ay, float az) : Used to define the force applied (or acceleration) on the UAV in LOCAL_NED Frame and is verified by bool checkAccelTgt(float accelTol = 0.01) function.

Trajectory Generation

void createTraj(trajectory desTraj[]) : This function taked as input an array of type trajectory defined in the library. Each element of this array contains the LOCAL_NED Pose, Velocity and Acceleration vectors as well as the yaw and yaw-rate at those points. type is also an argument in this structure which takes two possible values:

• type = 0 for Waypoint Trajectory
• type = 1 for Bezier Trajectory (Note: this feature has not been refined, hence it is advised not to use this until it has been).

This function utilizes the mavros_msgs/Trajectory message that generates a smooth trajectory between 5 well-defined points for any given frame.