Monitor Kobuki’s Battery Status

Now that we know how to monitor the netbook’s battery status we can use similar logic to monitor Kobuki’s battery status.

On TurtleBot run:

roslaunch turtlebot_bringup minimal.launch

On the workstation run:

cd ~/helloworld
python kobuki_battery.py

Now, try manually moving TurtleBot on and off the docking station.

Determine the Maximum Charge Value of the Kobuki Base

There are multiple batteries that are used in the Kobuki base. The percentage of power is calculated using a fixed kobuki_base_max_charge value in kobuki_battery.py.

To determine your battery maximum, charge it to full by leaving it on the docking station for an extended period, then on TurtleBot run:

rostopic echo /mobile_base/sensors/core

Note the battery’s value, and edit kobuki_battery.py:

gedit kobuki_battery.py

Modify the kobuki_base_max_charge value. The percentage power will now calculate correctly.