GPS-Denied Drone Landing Simulation

ArduPilot + ROS 2 + Gazebo (ARG) simulation for landing on a moving platform.

Quick Start (2 Terminals)

Terminal 1 - Gazebo:

source activate.sh
./scripts/run_ardupilot_sim.sh runway

Terminal 2 - Controller:

source activate.sh
./scripts/run_ardupilot_controller.sh

World Options

./scripts/run_ardupilot_sim.sh runway     # Default (outdoor)
./scripts/run_ardupilot_sim.sh warehouse  # Indoor
./scripts/run_ardupilot_sim.sh custom     # Custom landing pad
./scripts/run_ardupilot_sim.sh my_world   # gazebo/worlds/my_world.sdf

Installation

Ubuntu (Native or WSL2)

./setup/install_ubuntu.sh
./setup/install_ardupilot.sh
source ~/.bashrc

Windows (via WSL2)

# PowerShell as Administrator
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04
# Restart, then in Ubuntu terminal:
./setup/install_ubuntu.sh --with-ardupilot

macOS

./setup/install_macos.sh
python standalone_simulation.py  # Gazebo not supported

See Installation Guide for detailed platform instructions.

Project Structure

simulation/
├── config.py
├── src/
│   └── drone_controller.py   # Your algorithm
├── scripts/
│   ├── run_ardupilot_sim.sh
│   └── run_ardupilot_controller.sh
├── gazebo/
│   ├── worlds/               # Your worlds
│   └── models/               # Your models
├── setup/
└── docs/

3-Phase Mission

Phase	Action
SEARCH	Find QR code on rover
COMMAND	Send commands to rover
LAND	Land on rover

Environment Setup

Always activate the environment before running:

source activate.sh

This sets up:

• ROS 2 environment
• ArduPilot venv (with empy, pymavlink, etc.)
• Gazebo resource paths
• ArduPilot tools path

Troubleshooting

sim_vehicle.py not found:

source ~/.ardupilot_env

empy not found:

source ~/venv-ardupilot/bin/activate
pip install empy==3.3.4

Gazebo slow (software rendering):

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
# Should show GPU, not "llvmpipe"

Documentation

• Installation - Full setup for all platforms + WSL
• ArduPilot Guide - SITL setup and troubleshooting
• Drone Controller - Landing algorithm
• Custom Worlds - Create Gazebo environments
• Blender Models - 3D model workflow
• Architecture - System design