🤖 V-REP Wall Follower with PID Control

A Python implementation of wall-following algorithms for the Pioneer P3DX robot in the V-REP (CoppeliaSim) simulation environment, featuring PID control for smooth navigation.

📝 Description

This project implements various wall-following algorithms for autonomous robot navigation in the V-REP (now known as CoppeliaSim) simulation environment. The primary focus is on a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller that enables a Pioneer P3DX robot to follow walls smoothly while maintaining a safe distance.

The implementation includes several wall-following methods:

• PID control-based wall following
• Minimum sensor reading-based wall following
• Multi-sensor weighted approach

🔧 Prerequisites

• Python 3.x
• V-REP/CoppeliaSim (Educational or Pro version)
• V-REP Python API (included with V-REP installation)
• Python packages:
  • numpy
  • math
  • logging

✨ Features

• Multiple Wall-Following Algorithms:
  • PID controller with tunable parameters
  • Minimum sensor reading approach
  • Multi-sensor weighted approach
• Comprehensive Sensor Integration:
  • Ultrasonic proximity sensors
  • Compass for orientation
  • Odometry for distance tracking
• Data Logging and Analysis:
  • Detailed logging of robot state
  • CSV output for position, motor velocity, and error history
  • Performance statistics (distance traveled, average speed, etc.)
• Configurable Scenarios:
  • Customizable robot tasks (turn, move, wall follow)
  • Adjustable parameters (minimum distance, maximum distance, velocity)

🚀 Setup Guide

1. Install V-REP/CoppeliaSim and ensure the Python API is properly configured
2. Clone this repository to your local machine
3. Create logs and output directories in the project root:

   mkdir logs output

4. Open V-REP/CoppeliaSim and load a scene with the Pioneer P3DX robot

📋 Usage

1. Start V-REP/CoppeliaSim and load a scene with the Pioneer P3DX robot
2. Run the scenario script:

   python scenario.py

3. The robot will execute the defined tasks:
   • Turn to a specified orientation
   • Move in a straight line until near a wall
   • Follow the wall perimeter for one complete loop
   • Stop

🏗️ Architecture

The project is organized into several Python modules:

• scenario.py: Main entry point that defines the robot's tasks and parameters
• controller.py: Manages the connection to V-REP and executes the control loop
• robots.py: Implements the Pioneer P3DX robot with various movement methods
• sensors.py: Provides classes for proximity sensors and compass
• helper.py: Contains utility functions for V-REP interaction
• logger.py: Handles logging of robot state and events

Control Loop

The main control loop follows a sense-think-act paradigm:

1. Sense: Update robot state (position, proximity, compass, odometry)
2. Think: Process sensor data and determine appropriate action
3. Act: Execute movement commands based on the current task

PID Controller

The PID wall-following algorithm uses:

• Proportional (P): Responds to the current error (distance from wall)
• Integral (I): Accounts for accumulated error over time
• Derivative (D): Responds to the rate of change of error

Default PID parameters:

• kp: 7.29
• ki: 0.0
• kd: -7.0

📊 Data Output

The simulation generates several CSV files in the output directory:

• abs_pos_all.csv: Absolute position of the robot throughout the simulation
• motor_all_v: Motor velocity data
• error_history: PID controller error history

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.