Speaker
Description
In this talk, I’ll demonstrate how to set up a reproducible drone simulation environment using MAVLink, and ROS, with two powerful options for automation: Nix and Docker containers. We’ll cover how to set up the simulation stack, visualize missions in Gazebo, and run automated tests—using either Nix for a fully declarative setup or containers for an isolated environment.
You’ll see how to create a consistent, reproducible setup that works across different machines, whether you prefer the precision of Nix or the flexibility of containers. I’ll show how to run simulated drone missions, visualize in Gazebo, and run tests within these environments to validate autonomous behavior.
Justification
This talk is necessary because it addresses key challenges in robotics development: ensuring consistent, reproducible environments, and enabling safe, scalable testing. By automating setup with Nix or containers, developers can eliminate "works on my machine" issues and streamline workflows across teams. It also simplifies testing in Gazebo, reducing risks and costs associated with physical hardware. With this approach, teams can quickly iterate on autonomous behaviors, run automated tests, and ensure high-quality code, all while maintaining flexible, reproducible setups for development and CI.
| Submission type | Lightning talk |
|---|---|
| Technical level | intermediate |
| Where are you based? | Nairobi, Kenya |