The Pioneer LX Software Development Kit (SDK) consists of several useful tools. The most relevant tools are ARIA, ARNL, Mapper3 and MobileEyes. Some are free, ARIA is open source, and some must be purchased. They are available at the Mobile Robots website:
ARIA
Overview
See the MobileRobots wiki
Hardware control libraries
These libraries are required on the Pioneer LX for the onboard computer to communicate with the robots actuators and sensors.
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Advanced Robot Interface for Applications (ARIA) is
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an Open Source C++ library
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for all MobileRobots/ActivMedia platforms. ARIA can dynamically control your robot's velocity, heading, relative heading, and other motion parameters either through simple low-level commands or through its high-level Actions infrastructure. ARIA also receives position estimates, sonar readings, and all other current operating data sent by the robot platform.
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ARIA can be used with Python, Java and Matlab. A ROS interface, ROSARIA, is available for ARIA. This is the key software for accessing the robot base’s internal peripherals.
ARNL
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ARNL is a set of software packages built on top of ARIA for intelligent navigation and localization. "Localization" allows the program to keep track of where the robot is and "navigation" allows the robot to get to a given destination. Utilizing the laser rangefinder it can be used to navigate and position the robot in a known map, and includes path-finding.
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A ROS interface, ros-arnl, is available for ARNL.
Mapper3
Mapper3 is a software used for generating maps from laser scans, and adding obstacles and defining areas on the map. Mapper3 will take a laser scan log file (a .2d file) from the sickLogger program and create a .map file. It will also remove moving obstacles like peoples feet. It will leave you with a nice continuous outline of the area it maps. You can even modify the map on a robot over a network connection
Useful programs:
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A Map of Glassgården, Elektrobygget, NTNU has been made.
sickLogger
sickLogger is a program included with ARNL. It will log the data from the laser range finder, and store it in a .2d file.
MobileEyes
MobileEyes is a GUI for remotely monitoring and controlling the Pioneer LX. This program can be run from a host computer by connecting to the robot over the network. The programs main purpose is to visualize the robots position in a map and its navigation paths. The program can also be used to create maps and to control the robot. When you run the software you are asked to log in with the user name and password of the robot’s OS and to give the IP of the robot.
MobileSim
MobileSim is a Pioneer LX simulator. It is used to simulate the sensor information given in a known environment. When you start MobileSim you select what robot model you are using and what map you want to simulate in. Once MobileSim is running you can start arnlServer which will read the sensors as if you where in the actual real environment.
Location in file system
Aria
/usr/local/Aria/
/usr/local/Aria/examples/
/usr/local/Aria/examples/demo (Aria demo file, with which you can control the Cyborg with the joystick)
ARNL
/usr/local/Arnl/
/usr/local/Arnl/examples/
/usr/local/Arnl/examples/arnlServer
/usr/local/Arnl/examples/sickLogger
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