Analysis updated 2026-05-18
Build a custom autonomy stack for a Frodobot robot using ROS2 and a Jetson Orin Nano.
Get LIDAR scan data publishing as a ROS2 topic for visualization in RViz.
Work around Jetson Orin USB serial driver and power issues for robotics hardware projects.
| vbwanere/autonomous-frodobot | ac000/find-flv | acc4github/kdenlive-omnifade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | 0 | — | 0 |
| Language | C | C | C |
| Last pushed | — | 2013-04-05 | — |
| Maintenance | — | Dormant | — |
| Setup difficulty | hard | moderate | moderate |
| Complexity | 5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Audience | developer | developer | general |
Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.
Requires specific hardware, a Jetson Orin, RPLIDAR, and YB-ERF01 board, plus compiling a missing kernel driver.
Autonomous Frodobot is a C++ autonomy stack for a small differential drive robot built on a Frodobot EarthRover platform, replacing the robot's stock remote control system with sensor driven autonomy running on an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano. The robot uses a 360 degree LIDAR sensor for detecting obstacles and mapping its surroundings, a 9 axis motion sensor for tracking orientation and movement, and a small STM32 based control board that talks to the drive motors and encoders. The software runs on ROS2, the widely used framework for building robotics software out of interchangeable pieces. Right now, only the LIDAR piece is finished: a custom driver reads scan data from the sensor and publishes it as a standard ROS2 message that other tools, like the RViz visualizer, can display live. Everything else on the roadmap is still to come, including reading the motion sensor, reading the wheel encoders, writing firmware for the STM32 board to control motor speed, combining sensor readings into a single accurate position estimate, building a map of the environment, and adding real navigation with obstacle avoidance. The README also documents hard won lessons from getting this specific hardware combination working on a Jetson Orin Nano. The robot's control board needs a genuine 12 volt power source, since USB power alone puts its firmware into a low battery protection mode that stops sending data. A default Ubuntu service meant for Braille displays can also grab the same USB serial ports the robot's sensors use, disconnecting them the moment they connect, and has to be removed. The Jetson's kernel is also missing a driver the control board needs, which has to be compiled from source separately, and needs recompiling whenever the Jetson's system software updates. This project is best suited to someone who already owns this exact robot and sensor hardware and wants to build custom navigation and mapping software for it from the ground up, rather than someone looking for a ready to use robot or a general purpose robotics starting point.
A C++ and ROS2 autonomy stack under active development for a Frodobot robot on a Jetson Orin Nano, with LIDAR scanning working and navigation still on the roadmap.
Mainly C. The stack also includes C++, ROS2, Jetson Orin.
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.
Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.
Mainly developer.
This repo across BitVibe Labs
Verify against the repo before relying on details.