> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.innate.bot/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Foxglove Setup

> Visualize ROS2 topics from any machine using Foxglove.

Foxglove lets you see what your robot sees — camera feeds, LiDAR scans, navigation costmaps, TF frames — all from a browser. Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

## How it works

MARS runs a **Foxglove Bridge** node that exposes ROS2 topics over WebSocket. You connect to it from [Foxglove](https://foxglove.dev/) on your laptop.

```
MARS (ROS2 topics) → Foxglove Bridge (WebSocket :8765) → Your browser
```

***

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="SSH into MARS">
    ```bash theme={null}
    ssh jetson1@<YOUR-ROBOT-IP>
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Foxglove Bridge (if not already installed)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt install ros-humble-foxglove-bridge
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the bridge">
    ```bash theme={null}
    ros2 launch foxglove_bridge foxglove_bridge_launch.xml
    ```

    The bridge listens on port `8765` by default.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Foxglove in your browser">
    Go to [app.foxglove.dev](https://app.foxglove.dev).

    Click **Open connection** → **Foxglove WebSocket** → enter:

    ```
    ws://<YOUR-ROBOT-IP>:8765
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add panels">
    Once connected, add visualization panels:

    * **Image** panel → select `/oak/rgb/image_raw` for the camera feed
    * **3D** panel → see TF frames, LiDAR, and navigation paths
    * **Plot** panel → graph any numeric topic over time
    * **Raw Messages** panel → inspect any topic's raw data
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Useful topics to visualize

| Topic                | Type          | What you see                   |
| -------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `/oak/rgb/image_raw` | Image         | Main camera feed               |
| `/scan`              | LaserScan     | LiDAR sweep                    |
| `/odom`              | Odometry      | Robot position and velocity    |
| `/cmd_vel`           | Twist         | Velocity commands being sent   |
| `/map`               | OccupancyGrid | SLAM map                       |
| `/battery_state`     | BatteryState  | Battery voltage and percentage |
| `/tf`                | TF            | All coordinate frames          |

***

## RViz alternative (Linux only)

If you're on a Linux machine with ROS2 Humble installed, you can use RViz directly. It connects to MARS over Zenoh DDS — no bridge needed.

Make sure your machine is on the same network and Zenoh discovery can reach the robot. Then:

```bash theme={null}
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
rviz2
```

Add displays for the topics you care about. RViz gives you the most complete visualization experience but requires a native Linux + ROS2 setup.

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can't connect to WebSocket">
    * Verify MARS and your laptop are on the same network.
    * Check the bridge is running: `ros2 node list | grep foxglove`.
    * Try the IP address directly instead of `.local` hostname.
    * Make sure port `8765` isn't blocked by a firewall.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No topics showing up">
    * The bridge only exposes topics that are actively published. Make sure ROS nodes are running: `innate view`.
    * Try `ros2 topic list` on the robot to confirm topics exist.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="High latency on camera feed">
    * Image topics are bandwidth-heavy. Use a wired Ethernet connection for the best experience.
    * In Foxglove, reduce the image panel's update rate or use compressed image topics if available.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>