Hexagon | NovAtel
has released its second purpose-built driver that allows easy incorporation of the company’s OEM7 range of GNSS receivers into custom ROS (Robot Operating System) 2-based applications. NovAtel OEM7 drivers are developed and managed by NovAtel engineers to provide an optimised interface for autonomy projects such as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and robotics.
As the integration of the OEM7 receiver increases in autonomy projects, algorithms for academic investigations, and precision agriculture solutions, NovAtel continues to support the growing needs of the robotics community. With ROS 2, developers can create autonomous applications quicker, without the need to develop or adapt existing community drivers. Tested and supported by NovAtel and Hexagon | AutonomouStuff, the driver enables seamless access to the receiver’s GNSS and inertial capabilities so users can simultaneously utilise live, recorded and post-processed data.
ROS and ROS 2 drivers are available for download through the NovAtel GitHub repository and as a ROS Binary Package for direct installation, with documentation hosted on the ROS.org wiki.
James Szabo, agriculture autonomy product manager at Hexagon | NovAtel, said: “Automation and autonomy are at the forefront of advancing the agriculture industry. The functional resilience and performance of ROS 2 paired with our OEM7 receivers speeds up integration and reduces time to market for our customers developing new equipment.”
Eric Wuestefeld, Hexagon | NovAtel’s executive vice president for agriculture, commented: “We have many users globally who have already adopted the ROS driver in unmanned operations, from tillage and viticulture operations to broadacre crop spraying. The ROS driver has shortened the transition from prototype to production, allowing users to focus on furthering their autonomous solution without the worry and complexities of third-party interfaces.”
