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Quickstart Guide: Physical AI & Humanoid Robotics Textbook Development

This guide provides instructions for setting up your development environment and getting started with contributing to the Physical AI & Humanoid Robotics Textbook.

1. Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

  • Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Recommended for ROS 2 Jazzy compatibility)
  • Git: Version control system.
    • sudo apt update && sudo apt install git -y
  • Node.js & npm: For Docusaurus.
    • Follow official Node.js installation instructions (e.g., using nvm or apt for the latest LTS version).
  • Python 3.10+ & pip: For ROS 2 and AI/ML code examples.
    • sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3 python3-pip -y
  • ROS 2 Jazzy Jalisco: The Robot Operating System 2 (LTS release).
    • Follow the official ROS 2 Jazzy installation guide for Ubuntu. Ensure the ros-dev-tools are installed.
  • Gazebo Harmonic: The simulation environment (comes with ROS 2 Jazzy).
    • Install alongside ROS 2 Jazzy, or separately if needed, ensuring compatibility.
  • NVIDIA Isaac Sim: A compatible version with ROS 2 Jazzy and Gazebo Harmonic.
    • Follow NVIDIA's official installation guide for Isaac Sim, ensuring ROS 2 bridge and Gazebo integration.
  • Code Editor: VS Code with recommended extensions (e.g., Markdown All in One, Python, YAML).

2. Clone the Repository​

Clone the textbook repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/ai-and-robotics.git
cd ai-and-robotics

3. Setup Docusaurus Development Environment​

Navigate to the humanoid-robotics-textbook directory and install dependencies:

cd humanoid-robotics-textbook
npm install

4. Build and Run Docusaurus Locally​

To start the local development server:

npm run start

This will open the textbook in your browser at http://localhost:3000. Any changes you make to the .mdx files or other Docusaurus configuration will automatically reload the page.

5. Running Example Simulations​

To test ROS 2 nodes or Gazebo/Isaac Sim simulations mentioned in the chapters, refer to the specific instructions within each chapter.

Example ROS 2 Command​

source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash
ros2 launch my_robot_bringup my_robot_launch.py

Example Gazebo Command​

gazebo --verbose worlds/my_robot_world.sdf

6. Contributing​

  • Follow the file naming conventions and MDX frontmatter standard.
  • Ensure all technical claims are backed by citations.
  • Tag glossary terms using the glossary term tagging convention.
  • Adhere to the project's constitution and specification.