Gazebo-Based Simulation Environment Integration for UAS

Abstract

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-3011.vid As motivation for research in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) continues to grow, there exists an ever-present demand for software-based simulation solutions. The objective of this paper is to explore the arrangement and capabilities of an integration solution that combines several open-source applications to establish a simulation environment for UAS. The Gazebo environment and PX4 Autopilot firmware serve as the foundation for the simulation, which then includes the extended functionality of Robot Operating System (ROS) and QGroundControl to provide an applicable solution to the various needs in research and development. The fundamental knowledge regarding the relationships and interoperability of the software used in this arrangement will be explicated. Furthermore, custom modifications for purposes of UAS model creation and pathfinding integration (Rapidly-exploring Random Trees) will be discussed in this manuscript.