(new) GZ Feature tracker

[Jaeyoung-Lim]

Describe problem solved by the proposed feature

This is a feature tracker to achieve feature parity with gazebo classic.

Feed free to modify the issue to append the list or mark it as completed. If there is an issue/PR, please reference it.

Describe your preferred solution

The list of features that are missing in the new GZ is as follows:

Models

• Fixedwing-advanced lift drag (Port of Advanced Plane from Gazebo Classic to Gazebo #22167)
• Tiltrotor VTOL (Adding tiltrotor airframe for gazebo simulation  #24028, Adding tiltrotor to gazebo simulation PX4-gazebo-models#66)
• Differential rover (Differential drive for Rover & Gazebo R1 Rover port  #22402)
• Ackermann Rover (Add SITL airframe for ackermann rover #23383)
• Quadtailsitter (Add gz model for quadtailsitter PX4-gazebo-models#65, Add gz model for quadtailsitter #23943)
• Omnicopter (add a gz-omnicopter model #21818)
• USVs (Boats)

Worlds

• Ocean
• Baylands

PX4 related Features

• Gimbal Control (GZ: Add gimbal device  #23382)
• Camera Manager / Video Streaming
• Camera triggering/geotagging
• Rotor failures
• Collision prevention (Collision Prevention for multicopter acceleration based position flight mode #23507)
• Catapult launch
• Parachute/Flight termination
• Retractable landing gear
• Precision Landing ([gz] X500 mono_cam_down and aruco world #23450)

Sensors

• Airspeed sensors (Add gz model for quadtailsitter PX4-gazebo-models#65)
• Optical Flow sensor
• GPS yaw heading simulation
• Multi airspeed sensor
• Distance sensor (Add X500 Lidar Models PX4-gazebo-models#62) (SIM: MPC: add two x500 lidar airframes #23879)

Actuators

• Wind influence for motor thrust
• Wind influence for lift and drag plugin

Simulation Features

• Faster than real-time simulation Faster than Real -Time support in GZ #23783
• Vehicle view tracking (Follow model in gz GUI #22808)
• MAVSDK SITL tests
• Multivehicle simulation
• Wind/Gust simulation

Describe possible alternatives

NA

Additional context

[dakejahl]

Add optical flow to the sensors list. I can help with creating the plugin architecture, I just need to find some time to do it.

[mrpollo]

Maybe add switching the MAVSD SITL tests to the new GZ as well. I can take care of it once we have faster than real-time.

[dirksavage88]

1. Collision prevention/obstacle distance already exists in PX4 gz with the x500 lidar model:

   PX4-Autopilot/src/modules/simulation/gz_bridge/GZBridge.cpp

   Line 808 in 1a0f97e

   obstacle_distance_s obs {};

2. Catapult is just a Wrench publisher in GZ and a model would purely be for visual purposes. Easy to implement outside of PX4:
   gz topic -t /world/default/wrench -m gz.msgs.EntityWrench -p 'entity:{name:"x_500",type:MODEL},wrench:{force: {x:32000,y:0,z:8500,}}' -n 100

3. Airspeed is in GZ garden, but not yet in a PX4 plugin: https://github.com/gazebosim/gz-sensors/blob/gz-sensors7/src/AirSpeedSensor.cc

Multivehicle simulation as in multiple PX4 capable vehicles or just one PX4 vehicle and another controlled externally?

[Jaeyoung-Lim]

@dirksavage88

Collision prevention/obstacle distance already exists in PX4 gz with the x500 lidar model:

I know, but does the test work?

Catapult is just a Wrench publisher in GZ and a model would purely be for visual purposes. Easy to implement outside of PX4:
gz topic -t /world/default/wrench -m gz.msgs.EntityWrench -p 'entity:{name:"x_500",type:MODEL},wrench:{force: {x:32000,y:0,z:8500,}}' -n 100

We need to write a plugin that does it automatically on arm to make testing more convenient. It doesn't make sense to type that everytime you test it.

Airspeed is in GZ garden, but not yet in a PX4 plugin: https://github.com/gazebosim/gz-sensors/blob/gz-sensors7/src/AirSpeedSensor.cc

That is just the sensor implementation. We need to incorporate it into gz bridge and handle the airframe configs for it.

[dirksavage88]

@dirksavage88

Collision prevention/obstacle distance already exists in PX4 gz with the x500 lidar model:

I know, but does the test work?

Catapult is just a Wrench publisher in GZ and a model would purely be for visual purposes. Easy to implement outside of PX4:
gz topic -t /world/default/wrench -m gz.msgs.EntityWrench -p 'entity:{name:"x_500",type:MODEL},wrench:{force: {x:32000,y:0,z:8500,}}' -n 100

We need to write a plugin that does it automatically on arm to make testing more convenient. It doesn't make sense to type that everytime you test it.

Airspeed is in GZ garden, but not yet in a PX4 plugin: https://github.com/gazebosim/gz-sensors/blob/gz-sensors7/src/AirSpeedSensor.cc

That is just the sensor implementation. We need to incorporate it into gz bridge and handle the airframe configs for it.

By test, this is in reference to a unit test of some sort? I am not sure how tests were carried out in gazebo classic.

[Myzhe]

Maybe add distance sensors (rangefinders) to the sensor list.

[dirksavage88]

@Jaeyoung-Lim Please see the following PR for faster than real time support

[hamishwillee]

This is very nice!! Note, we need to make sure these things are documented. Feature parity also means "works out of the box", not "we added a distance sensor to the model, but actually it can only be used from ROS if you know what you are doing, maybe ...".

[Claudio-Chies]

There seems to be a bug regarding the interaction of the Advanced Lift Drag plugin, and the windy world. where the advanced plane gets blown away before takeoff. make px4_sitl gz_advanced_plane_windy
might be added to this list?
#24064

[Jaeyoung-Lim]

@Claudio-Chies Lets keep bugs away from this thread and focus on missing features. Once the features are ported, bugs should be treated as is

[dakejahl]

I started on adding plugin support for gz, looking for input
#24153