From Fedora Project Wiki
(Mark for Category:FeatureReadyForWrangler)
 
(10 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
= Robotics Spin <!-- The name of your feature --> =
= Fedora Robotics Suite <!-- The name of your feature --> =


== Summary ==
== Summary ==
<!-- A sentence or two summarizing what this feature is and what it will do.  This information is used for the overall feature summary page for each release. -->
<!-- A sentence or two summarizing what this feature is and what it will do.  This information is used for the overall feature summary page for each release. -->
Create a spin that provides an out-of-the-box usable robotic simulation environment featuring a linear demo to introduce new users. Additionally we want to add as many robotics related packages to the spin to maximize out-of-the-box usable hardware and software.
Create a collection of software that provides an out-of-the-box usable robotic simulation environment featuring a linear demo to introduce new users. Additionally we want to add as many robotics related packages to maximize the amount of easily usable hardware and software.


== Owner ==
== Owner ==
<!--This should link to your home wiki page so we know who you are-->
<!--This should link to your home wiki page so we know who you are-->
* Name: [[User:Timn| Tim Niemueller]], [[User:Rmattes|Rich Mattes]]
* Name: [[User:Timn|Tim Niemueller]], [[User:Rmattes|Rich Mattes]]


<!-- Include you email address that you can be reached should people want to contact you about helping with your feature, status is requested, or  technical issues need to be resolved-->
<!-- Include you email address that you can be reached should people want to contact you about helping with your feature, status is requested, or  technical issues need to be resolved-->
Line 14: Line 14:
== Current status ==
== Current status ==
* Targeted release: [[Releases/15 | Fedora 15]]  
* Targeted release: [[Releases/15 | Fedora 15]]  
* Last updated: 2010-11-16
* Last updated: 2011-03-23
* Percentage of completion: 20%
* Percentage of completion: 100%


== Detailed Description ==
== Detailed Description ==
The [[SIGs/Robotics|Fedora Robotics SIG]] has packaged a lot of robotics related software and consists of upstream programmers from various projects (Fawkes, Player/Stage, RoboCup 3D Soccer Server). We now want to create a spin that includes the software we've packaged, and brings in upstream expertise to create a simulation and demonstration environment to help new users dive into robotics quickly. We also often face the problem of needing a consistent environment to simulate, operate, and develop robots. One such scenario are students that need to write code or operate a robot for a lab course. Recreating the environment on various different Linux systems is often painful and time consuming.
The [[SIGs/Robotics|Fedora Robotics SIG]] has packaged a lot of robotics related software and consists of upstream programmers from various projects (Fawkes, Player/Stage, RoboCup 3D Soccer Server). We now want to create a specified group of packages that form the Fedora Robotics Suite. It will include the software we have packaged, and brings in upstream expertise to create a simulation and demonstration environment to help new users dive into robotics quickly. Roboticists often face the problem of needing a consistent environment to simulate, operate, and develop robots. One such scenario are students that need to write code or operate a robot for a lab course. Recreating the environment on various different Linux systems is often painful and time consuming.  


With a LiveDVD we want to address these issues. We want to get new people interested in robotics and provide and easily and readily usable environment.
By creating a Robotics comps group we want to address these issues. We want to get new people interested in robotics and provide and easily and readily usable environment by installing packages from the comps group.


For the former we plan to come up with a demonstration application, that builds on Fawkes and Player/Stage. In a simulated environment the user is to control a robot in levels of increasing difficulty, advancing from pointing the robot with a mouse to writing small scripts. This demonstration should conclude with pointers to more in-depth documentation of the various available robotics software packages, emphasizing the systems which have been used in the initial demo and where members of the upstream project contribute to Fedora.
We plan to come up with a demonstration application, that builds on [http://www.fawkesrobotics.org Fawkes] and [http://playerstage.sourceforge.net Player/Stage]. In a simulated environment the user is to control a robot in levels of increasing difficulty, advancing from pointing the robot with a mouse to writing small scripts. This demonstration should conclude with pointers to more in-depth documentation of the various available robotics software packages, emphasizing the systems which have been used in the initial demo and where members of the upstream project contribute to Fedora.
 
Once the comps group is finalized, it will be simple to create a Robotics Spin. This can, for example, serve as a give-away in new lab courses, to get students up and running more quickly. It will also provide an educational environment to spawn new interest in robotics.


== Benefit to Fedora ==
== Benefit to Fedora ==
Line 30: Line 32:
== Scope ==
== Scope ==
<!-- What work do the developers have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
<!-- What work do the developers have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
The first step is defining the collection of packages, which will extend the existing desktop LiveCD. Then the demonstration environment is to be created. This effort will be hosted by the Fawkes upstream project, and will involve members of the robotics SIG from this project and from the Player/Stage project. Finally the documentation is to be compiled which is provided as additional material to the user pointing the way and explaining the available components.
The first step is defining the collection of packages, which will be marked for the robotics comps group. Then the demonstration environment is to be created. This effort will be hosted by the Fawkes upstream project, and will involve members of the robotics SIG from this project and from the Player/Stage project. Finally the documentation is to be compiled which is provided as additional material to the user pointing the way and explaining the available components.


If the demonstration application cannot be finished in time, the spin is still useful because it provides a wealth of robotics software. Shortcuts to at least run the simulation with the available instruction tools can be achieved in a short time and will be prepared as fallback.
If the demonstration application cannot be finished in time, the comps group is still useful because it provides a wealth of robotics software. Shortcuts to at least run the simulation with the available instruction tools can be achieved in a short time and will be prepared as fallback.


== How To Test ==
== How To Test ==
Line 57: Line 59:
== Dependencies ==
== Dependencies ==
<!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this feature depends?  In other words, completion of another feature owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel feature)? -->
<!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this feature depends?  In other words, completion of another feature owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel feature)? -->
The spin itself has no outside dependency. The demo application depends on available developer time, but an alternative without the demonstration application has been outlined above.
The suite itself has no outside dependencies. The demo application depends on available developer time, but an alternative without the demonstration application has been outlined above.


== Contingency Plan ==
== Contingency Plan ==
<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "None necessary, revert to previous release behaviour."  Or it might not.  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "None necessary, revert to previous release behaviour."  Or it might not.  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
None necessary, simply do not provide the robotics spin.
Remove robotics comps group and continue with status quo.


== Documentation ==
== Documentation ==
Line 71: Line 73:
<!-- The Fedora Release Notes inform end-users about what is new in the release.  Examples of past release notes are here: http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes/ -->
<!-- The Fedora Release Notes inform end-users about what is new in the release.  Examples of past release notes are here: http://docs.fedoraproject.org/release-notes/ -->
<!-- The release notes also help users know how to deal with platform changes such as ABIs/APIs, configuration or data file formats, or upgrade concerns.  If there are any such changes involved in this feature, indicate them here.  You can also link to upstream documentation if it satisfies this need.  This information forms the basis of the release notes edited by the documentation team and shipped with the release. -->
<!-- The release notes also help users know how to deal with platform changes such as ABIs/APIs, configuration or data file formats, or upgrade concerns.  If there are any such changes involved in this feature, indicate them here.  You can also link to upstream documentation if it satisfies this need.  This information forms the basis of the release notes edited by the documentation team and shipped with the release. -->
To be written
Fedora 15 now includes the Robotics Suite, a collection of packages that provides a usable out-of-the-box robotics development and simulation environment.  This ever-growing suite features up-to-date robotics frameworks, simulation environments, utility libraries, and device support, and consolidates them into an easy-to-install package group.  See http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Robotics for more details.


== Comments and Discussion ==
== Comments and Discussion ==
* See [[Talk:Features/RoboticsSpin]]
* See [[Talk:Features/RoboticsSuite]]
* See [[SIGs/Robotics/Meeting-20101110|Meeting minutes 2010-11-10]] for the latest discussion of the proposal by the [[SIGs/Robotics|Robotics SIG]].
* See [[SIGs/Robotics/Meeting-20101110|Meeting minutes 2010-11-10]] for the latest discussion of the proposal by the [[SIGs/Robotics|Robotics SIG]].


[[Category:FeatureReadyForWrangler]]
[[Category:FeatureAcceptedF15]]
<!-- When your feature page is completed and ready for review -->
<!-- When your feature page is completed and ready for review -->
<!-- remove Category:FeaturePageIncomplete and change it to Category:FeatureReadyForWrangler -->
<!-- remove Category:FeaturePageIncomplete and change it to Category:FeatureReadyForWrangler -->
<!-- After review, the feature wrangler will move your page to Category:FeatureReadyForFesco... if it still needs more work it will move back to Category:FeaturePageIncomplete-->
<!-- After review, the feature wrangler will move your page to Category:FeatureReadyForFesco... if it still needs more work it will move back to Category:FeaturePageIncomplete-->
<!-- A pretty picture of the page category usage is at: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/Policy/Process -->
<!-- A pretty picture of the page category usage is at: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/Policy/Process -->

Latest revision as of 04:24, 23 March 2011

Fedora Robotics Suite

Summary

Create a collection of software that provides an out-of-the-box usable robotic simulation environment featuring a linear demo to introduce new users. Additionally we want to add as many robotics related packages to maximize the amount of easily usable hardware and software.

Owner

  • Email: (timn|rmattes) at fedoraproject dot org

Current status

  • Targeted release: Fedora 15
  • Last updated: 2011-03-23
  • Percentage of completion: 100%

Detailed Description

The Fedora Robotics SIG has packaged a lot of robotics related software and consists of upstream programmers from various projects (Fawkes, Player/Stage, RoboCup 3D Soccer Server). We now want to create a specified group of packages that form the Fedora Robotics Suite. It will include the software we have packaged, and brings in upstream expertise to create a simulation and demonstration environment to help new users dive into robotics quickly. Roboticists often face the problem of needing a consistent environment to simulate, operate, and develop robots. One such scenario are students that need to write code or operate a robot for a lab course. Recreating the environment on various different Linux systems is often painful and time consuming.

By creating a Robotics comps group we want to address these issues. We want to get new people interested in robotics and provide and easily and readily usable environment by installing packages from the comps group.

We plan to come up with a demonstration application, that builds on Fawkes and Player/Stage. In a simulated environment the user is to control a robot in levels of increasing difficulty, advancing from pointing the robot with a mouse to writing small scripts. This demonstration should conclude with pointers to more in-depth documentation of the various available robotics software packages, emphasizing the systems which have been used in the initial demo and where members of the upstream project contribute to Fedora.

Once the comps group is finalized, it will be simple to create a Robotics Spin. This can, for example, serve as a give-away in new lab courses, to get students up and running more quickly. It will also provide an educational environment to spawn new interest in robotics.

Benefit to Fedora

Fedora will become more interesting to the emerging robotics community, especially in the scientific and academic sector. Robotics is a hot topic and being able to provide a readily usable environment and introductory material may attract new users.

Scope

The first step is defining the collection of packages, which will be marked for the robotics comps group. Then the demonstration environment is to be created. This effort will be hosted by the Fawkes upstream project, and will involve members of the robotics SIG from this project and from the Player/Stage project. Finally the documentation is to be compiled which is provided as additional material to the user pointing the way and explaining the available components.

If the demonstration application cannot be finished in time, the comps group is still useful because it provides a wealth of robotics software. Shortcuts to at least run the simulation with the available instruction tools can be achieved in a short time and will be prepared as fallback.

How To Test

The simulation environment can be tested on all major Fedora platforms. To test hardware specific packages the specific hardware is required (like laser scanners or robotics arms). The instructions will be extended as the demo application is growing.


User Experience

Users will be able to try out robotics in a simulation environment. Roboticists will be provided with an environment where a lot of robotics related software is usable out-of-the-box.

Dependencies

The suite itself has no outside dependencies. The demo application depends on available developer time, but an alternative without the demonstration application has been outlined above.

Contingency Plan

Remove robotics comps group and continue with status quo.

Documentation

Release Notes

Fedora 15 now includes the Robotics Suite, a collection of packages that provides a usable out-of-the-box robotics development and simulation environment. This ever-growing suite features up-to-date robotics frameworks, simulation environments, utility libraries, and device support, and consolidates them into an easy-to-install package group. See http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Robotics for more details.

Comments and Discussion