Raw agent reports — researchbest

researchbest is the team’s web-research specialist. Every entry follows the same six-step format: keyword search → primary sources → comparison matrix → trade-off analysis → final recommendation → citations. Each topic ends with a six-axis evaluation matrix scoring candidates on metrics relevant to the topic (latency, memory, CPU, ROS 2 integration, real-time fitness, community support).

Repo architecture (TASK-029, 2026-05-07)

Decisions captured in 01-genesis.md:

• Separate git repo at ~/git/proj/researchbest/, not nested inside aerosearch — the scope is wider than a “research folder,” paralleling rl-lab as its own track.
• Wrapper pattern for help_scripts — launch.sh / build.sh are 16-line wrappers that delegate to simulation/help_scripts/* via an ENV_FILE envvar override. Not copies, not symlinks; thin shells with explicit env injection.
• Flat accumulating naming for models/worlds/nodes — <base>_v<N>_task<NNN>.<ext>. Old versions are never deleted — experimental reproducibility wins over directory cleanliness.
• Accumulating dev-log (one shared log, not per-task) — docs/dev-log/<NN>-<topic>.md. A TASK collapses into a single entry, not spread across several.

Stack bootstrap (TASK-011, entries 03–06)

• Standalone ROS 2 Jazzy workspace with the researchbest_drone package.
• Custom daemon CLI (start/stop/status/attach/logs/restart) — built from scratch, not a wrapper (the simulation repo doesn’t have a daemon.sh to wrap).
• Custom zigzag world worlds/zigzag_corridor_v1_task011.sdf (~18 m, narrow corridors).
• Smoke test (entry 06): sweep_node + autoscan_node + sensor_monitor work in Gazebo + SITL without colliding with the simulation team’s workspace. TASK-033 phase 3 (entry 07) added phase isolation via .env_researchbest (SITL_INSTANCE=1, GZ_PARTITION=researchbest, ROS_DOMAIN_ID=42).

Web research topics (cumulative)

TASK-002 — stop-scan mapping (dev-log 02, 580 lines)

GPS-denied indoor exploration using 1D ToF sweep. Final pipeline: STOP-SCAN-FRONTIER — Cartographer 2D → frontier_picker → mission_fsm. See Cartographer SLAM stack.

TASK-021 — ROS 2 Jazzy stack (dev-log 10–12)

• 21b — 2D SLAM choice. Winner: slam_toolbox (not Cartographer): ATE 0.13 m vs 0.21 m, position error ≤10 cm vs 1.4 m, ROS 2-native, Nav2 default. → Cartographer SLAM stack.
• 21c — frontier exploration. Keep our own frontier_picker.py (WFD + utility scoring + EWFD optimization) instead of m-explore-ros2 (which has stale slam_gmapping dependencies). → Frontier exploration alternatives.
• 21d — Nav2 drone config. NavigateToPose ActionClient invoked from mission_fsm, REP 105 / TwistStamped gotchas surfaced via the GSoC 2023 community work. → Nav2 drone aerial config.

Topic-A — VL53L0X×6 array (dev-log 09, 257 lines)

Choice: XSHUT-based address reassignment + Adafruit CircuitPython (no TCA9548A multiplexer). Realistic throughput: ~25-30 Hz total array, < 50 ms latency, < 10% CPU on Raspberry Pi 5. → VL53L0X array design.

TASK-047 — servo + scan storage (dev-log 14–15)

SG90 servo accuracy characterization + sweep-scan storage format. → SG90 sweep design.

Sensors (dev-log 16, 17, 18)

• TF-Luna sim-to-real noise sweep — domain randomization is required (σ 0.05–0.10 m is the critical band). → ToF sim-to-real.
• PMW3901 optical-flow operating limits — altitude range, illumination, surface contrast. → PMW3901 limits.
• Multi-sensor EKF3 fusion — rangefinder + optical flow + IMU. → EKF3 multi-sensor fusion.

Infrastructure (dev-log 19, 21, 22)

• SLAM comparison — additional algorithms covered in the main Cartographer SLAM stack page.
• ROS 2 latency tuning — DDS, transport, QoS. → ROS 2 latency tuning.
• Edge compute — Jetson Nano/Orin as companion PC. → Edge compute.

TASK-033 — parallel SITL heartbeat research (dev-log 13)

Overlaps with the simulation agent’s findings — see Parallel SITL instances.

What was not published as a standalone page

• Entries 04 (zigzag-world-design) and 05 (launcher-design) — researchbest stack-internal infra, not relevant to the general book.
• Entry 08 (research-topics-A-B-C) — meta-commentary on research process, not a result.

Media

~/drone_media/research/TASK-033/ — diagrams.md (ASCII parallel-SITL diagrams) and ros2_gazebo_resources.html (resource dump).