Darpa lessons learned

Here are few points that the lab should address to stabilize our field deployments:

• Find a dedicated place for joysticks for each robot. We should not search for a joystick or be confused about which robot will be controlled
• Color code similar hardware
• Drill startup sequence
• Hard drive and data management
• Backup the NAS
• Automatic ROS bag record on the start of each mission
• Base station setup
• Drift at the beginning of the maps
• IMU and lidar must be fixed together and calibrated
• Many tests BEFORE the event
• Docker for each robots?
• Stop bringing personal laptop to field deployments
• If you deliver a robot, you need to control the full autonomy stack for tuning
• Packaging and tools
• Simple navigation behaviour
• Multiple person on the same module
• Synchronization of time, diagnostic
• Screen on robot for diagnostic
• Two bins for batteries: charged / uncharged
• A way to take full control of the robot for transportation (by pass safety limitations)
• Standard joystick button layout on all robots
• Colored hex keys (hallen keys)
• Special long pince
• Tie wrapped that can be removed
• Grinder that vibrates
• Product vs prototype
  • Buck for power board
  • Sensors used by CSIRO
  • ANYmal
• Student va professional
• Ouster bad in smoke, high noise close range
• Lidar navigation was a key module for all teams