Installation and Getting Started Guide

Follow these steps to install and get started with the robot-sensor repository:

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• Git: Download and install Git
• Python 3.8+: Download and install Python
• pip: Comes pre-installed with Python, or install it using python -m ensurepip --upgrade
• ROS2: Humble: Install ROS2 Humble

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://git-ce.rwth-aachen.de/rene.ebeling/robot-sensor.git

2. Install Dependencies:

   cd ~/robot-sensor/Install_Documentation/

   pip install -r /requirements.txt

3. Build the Workspace:

   cd ~/robot-sensor/workspaces/COLCON_WS

   colcon build

4. Source the Workspace and ROS2 installation: Ensure you are in the COLCON_WS Directory

   source install/setup.bash

   source /opt/ros/${ROS_DISTRO}/setup.bash

5. Install the Universal Robots driver and replace the ur_description package in /opt/ros/humble/share/ wtth the custom made one from the repository:

   sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-ur

   sudo rm -r /opt/ros/${ROS_DISTRO}/share/ur_description

   sudo cp -r ~/robot-sensor/workspaces/COLCON_WS/src/ur_description /opt/ros/${ROS_DISTRO}/share/

6. Now start the ur_robot_driver with the following comand:

   ros2 launch ur_robot_driver ur_control.launch.py ur_type:=ur10 robot_ip:=<IP_from_your_robot>

7. Afterwards we gonna launch the MoveIt2 configuration with the following command:

   ros2 launch ur_moveit_config ur_moveit.launch.py ur_type:=ur10 launch_rviz:=true

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter issues, ensure all prerequisites are installed correctly.
• Check for missing dependencies or version mismatches.
• Use the --show-args flag with ROS2 commands to display the arguments and options available for a specific launch file or node. This can help debug or understand the configuration better.

Additional Troubleshooting Tools and Flags

• --ros-args: Use this flag with ROS 2 commands to pass additional arguments or parameters to nodes. For example:

  ros2 run <package_name> <node_name> --ros-args -p <parameter_name>:=<value>

• ros2 topic echo: Monitor the messages being published on a specific topic. This is useful for debugging communication between nodes.

  ros2 topic echo /<topic_name>

• ros2 topic list: List all active topics in the ROS 2 system to ensure the expected topics are being published.

• ros2 node list: Display all active nodes in the system to verify that the required nodes are running.

• ros2 param list: List all parameters for a specific node to check if they are set correctly.

  ros2 param list /<node_name>

• ros2 param get: Retrieve the value of a specific parameter for a node.

  ros2 param get /<node_name> <parameter_name>

• ros2 service list: List all available services to ensure the required services are active.

• ros2 service call: Call a service to test its functionality.

  ros2 service call /<service_name> <service_type> "{<arguments>}"

• colcon test: Run tests in your workspace to verify that your packages are functioning as expected.

• colcon test-result: Check the results of the tests run with colcon test.

• rqt: A graphical user interface tool for visualizing and debugging ROS 2 systems. Install it using:

  sudo apt-get install ros-${ROS_DISTRO}-rqt

• rqt_graph: Visualize the node and topic connections in your ROS 2 system. Launch it with:

  rqt_graph

• rviz2: A powerful visualization tool for ROS 2. Use it to debug robot states, sensor data, and more.

• Log Levels: Adjust the log level of nodes to get more detailed output for debugging. For example:

  ros2 run <package_name> <node_name> --ros-args --log-level debug

• Environment Variables: Use environment variables like ROS_DOMAIN_ID to isolate your ROS 2 network or RMW_IMPLEMENTATION to switch between middleware implementations.

• ros2 doctor: A diagnostic tool to check the health of your ROS 2 installation.

  ros2 doctor

Additional Resources

For more detailed documentation and support, refer to the following resources:

• Universal Robots ROS 2 Documentation: Comprehensive guide for integrating Universal Robots with ROS 2.
  Universal Robots ROS 2 Documentation

• PyMoveIt2 GitHub Repository: A Python interface for MoveIt2, useful for understanding how to control robots with Python nodes.
  PyMoveIt2 GitHub Repository

• ROS 2 Tutorials: Official tutorials for ROS 2 Humble, covering a wide range of topics from beginner to advanced.
  ROS 2 Tutorials

• GitHub Issues: If you encounter any problems or have questions, open an issue on the GitHub Issues page.