For each of the individual tasks in the 2022 VRX competition we provide examples of simulation worlds and Gazebo plugins to evaluate and score task performance. General instructions pertaining to all tasks as well as instructions for running individual examples are given below.

• Detailed descriptions of each task, its application interface (API) and scoring is included in the Task Descriptions and Technical Guide, available on the VRX 2022 website.
• For instructions on how to participate in each phase of the VRX 2022 competition, please see the VRX 2022 Overview.

After launch, e.g., roslaunch vrx_gazebo sydneyregatta.launch, all examples given below should begin with the wamv floating on the water near the shore, as shown:

Additional course elements will vary from task to task.

The vrx_gazebo/Task status message includes:

• task state {Initial, Ready, Running, Finished}
• current score
• timing information
• number of WAM-V collisions

Task status is published to /vrx/task/info. We recommend that you monitor the task status during simulation. One way to do this, for example, is to run:

rostopic echo /vrx/task/info

In preparation for developing an automated solution, we recommend using a gamepad or keyboard to drive the USV through the course. To get started quickly, try:

• Gamepad: roslaunch vrx_gazebo usv_joydrive.launch
• Keyboard: roslaunch vrx_gazebo usv_keydrive.launch

For more guidance and information, check out the Driving tutorial.

The following quick start instructions walk you through the initial process of launching your environment and subscribing to any available task-specific messages.