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Quickstart Guide: Humanoid Robotics & Embodied Intelligence Book

This guide provides a quick overview of how to set up your development environment to work with the code examples and exercises presented in this technical book.

1. System Requirements​

Ensure your system meets the following recommended specifications for optimal performance with ROS 2, Gazebo, Unity, and Isaac Sim:

  • Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (recommended primary OS)
  • CPU: Intel Core i7 (9th Gen+) or AMD Ryzen 7 (8 cores+ equivalent)
  • RAM: 32 GB minimum, 64 GB recommended
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3070 minimum, RTX 4090 recommended, with at least 16 GB VRAM (critical for Isaac Sim)
  • Storage: 500 GB SSD or more

2. Software Installation​

2.1. Ubuntu Setup​

It is highly recommended to use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Follow the official Ubuntu installation guide if you don't already have it installed.

2.2. Python Environment​

The code examples primarily use Python 3.8-3.10. It is recommended to use your system's Python 3 installation or a compatible virtual environment.

# Example: Check Python version
python3 --version

2.3. ROS 2 Installation​

Install ROS 2 Humble Hawksbill (LTS) by following the official ROS 2 documentation for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS: https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/Installation/Ubuntu-Install-Debians.html

2.4. Gazebo Simulation​

Gazebo Fortress is the recommended simulator for ROS 2 Humble. It is typically installed as part of the ROS 2 installation. Verify its installation:

gazebo --version

2.5. Unity 3D (Optional for specific chapters)​

For chapters involving Unity, download and install Unity 2022 LTS or Unity 6.3 LTS from the official Unity Hub: https://unity.com/download

2.6. NVIDIA Isaac Sim (Optional for specific chapters)​

For chapters leveraging Isaac Sim, install the latest stable release of NVIDIA Isaac Sim. This typically requires an NVIDIA GPU and specific drivers. Refer to the official NVIDIA Isaac Sim documentation for detailed installation instructions: https://developer.nvidia.com/omniverse/isaac-sim/get-started

3. Cloning the Code Examples​

The code examples for this book are hosted in a Git repository. Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone [REPOSITORY_URL_TO_BE_PROVIDED]
cd [REPOSITORY_NAME]

4. Running Examples​

Each chapter will provide specific instructions on how to set up and run its corresponding code examples. This typically involves:

  1. Navigating to the chapter's example directory.
  2. Installing Python dependencies (e.g., pip install -r requirements.txt).
  3. Sourcing the ROS 2 environment.
  4. Executing ROS 2 nodes or Python scripts.

Follow the instructions within each chapter for detailed guidance.

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