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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/qualcomm-qrb-ros/qrb_ros_simulation/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This page covers cloning the repository and building both ROS 2 packages: qrb_ros_sim_description, which contains URDF models and mesh assets, and qrb_ros_sim_gazebo, which provides Gazebo launch files and ROS 2 controller integration. Follow these steps whether you are building on a native Ubuntu 24.04 host or inside the Docker container.

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Build steps

1

Create the workspace directory

Create a dedicated colcon workspace for the project:
mkdir -p ~/qrb_ros_simulation_ws
2

Clone the repository

Clone the qrb_ros_simulation repository into the workspace:
cd ~/qrb_ros_simulation_ws && git clone https://github.com/qualcomm-qrb-ros/qrb_ros_simulation.git
3

Download mesh files

The URDF models reference STL mesh files that are not stored in Git. Run the provided download script to fetch them from their upstream sources:
cd qrb_ros_simulation && chmod +x scripts/meshes_download.sh && ./scripts/meshes_download.sh
Downloading mesh files is required. The URDF models for the RML-63 robotic arm and the Orbbec Gemini camera will not render in Gazebo without these STL files. The script skips files that are already present, so it is safe to run multiple times.
4

Build with colcon

Source the ROS 2 environment, then build all packages from the workspace root:
source /opt/ros/jazzy/setup.bash && cd ~/qrb_ros_simulation_ws && colcon build
During iterative development, use --symlink-install to avoid rebuilding after every Python or launch file change:
colcon build --symlink-install
5

Source the install overlay

After the build completes, source the install overlay to make the built packages available in your shell:
source install/local_setup.sh

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Next steps

Your workspace is built and ready. Explore the available robot models and their launch commands:

Robot models overview

Browse all four pre-configured robots and learn how to launch each one in Gazebo.

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