Welcome to CARMEN

This is a quite early version of the documentation of CARMEN. It is not complete but should be helpful when programming with CARMEN.

The Structure of CARMEN

CARMEN is an open-source collection of software for mobile robot control. CARMEN is modular software designed to provide basic navigation primatives including: base and sensor control, logging, obstacle avoidance, localization, path planning, and mapping. The modules are shown in the left navigator bar. Click of the different modules to browser their messages, libraries, functions, data structures, etc.

The communication between CARMEN modules is handled using a separate package called IPC, Copyright 1991 Christopher Fedor and Reid Simmons. IPC is distributed along with CARMEN.

Quick Installation Guide

$ tar xzf carmen.tgz ~/
$ cd carmen/src
$ ./configure
$ make

Quick Guide: Running the CARMEN Simulator

For starting the carmen simulator, call

$ ./central
$ ./param_daemon -r ROBOTNAME MAPFILE
$ ./simulator
$ ./robot
$ ./localize
$ ./navigator
$ ./navigator_panel  (click place robot to initialize the simulator and the localization)
$ ./robotgui

ROBOTNAME might be pioneer, a MAPFILE might by ../data/freiburg.map

Quick Guide: Running CARMEN on a Real Robot

For starting carmen with a real robot, call

$ ./central
$ ./param_daemon -r ROBOTNAME MAPFILE
$ ./laser
$ ./BASEDRIVER (e.g. pioneer)
$ ./robot
$ ./localize
$ ./navigator
$ ./navigator_panel (click place robot to initialize the localization)
$ ./robotgui

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