Hardware and software setup

To match the examples in this book, and to have access to the same tools that are used in the code samples, you will have to set up three environments:

• A laptop or desktop computer: This will run our control panel, and also be used to train neural networks. I used a Windows 10 computer with Oracle VirtualBox supporting a virtual machine running Ubuntu 20.04. You may run a computer running Ubuntu or another Linux operating system by itself (without Windows) if you want. Several of the AI packages we will use in the tutorial sections of the book will require Ubuntu to run. We will load ROS 2 on this computer. I will also be using a PlayStation game controller on this computer for teleoperation (remote control) of the robot when we teach the robot how to navigate. I also have ROS 2 for Windows installed, which may obviate running the virtual machine. Either approach will work, since the Python programs we will use for control run in either mode.
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