usingURDF.md

This package provides a ROS2 for visualizing and controlling a robot arm using URDF and RViz.

ros2.robot.arm.package.mov

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🔢 Steps

⚠️ 1. Prerequisites

• Ensure you have ROS2 Foxy installed on your system, and install the necessary dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ros-foxy-ament-cmake ros-foxy-urdf ros-foxy-rviz2 ros-foxy-robot-state-publisher ros-foxy-joint-state-publisher ros-foxy-joint-state-publisher-gui

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💻 2. Create a ROS2 Workspace

1. Source ROS 2 environment:

   source /opt/ros/foxy/setup.bash

2. Create a new directory:

   mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src
   cd ~/ros2_ws/src

3. Initialize the workspace:

   colcon build
   source install/setup.bash

---- ### 📦 3. Create a Robot Arm Package (using CMake as the build system) 1. Navigate to the src directory of your workspace: ```bash cd ~/ros2_ws/src ``` 2. Create a new package for your robot arm using CMake: ```bash ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_cmake robot_arm_package ```

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©️ 4. Copy URDF and Mesh Files

1. Clone the repository:

   cd ~/ros2_ws/src
   git clone https://github.com/smart-methods/arduino_robot_arm.git

2. Copy the URDF and mesh files:

    mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src/robot_arm_package/urdf
    mkdir -p ~/ros2_ws/src/robot_arm_package/meshes
    cp ~/ros2_ws/src/arduino_robot_arm/robot_arm_pkg/urdf/arduino_robot_arm.urdf ~/ros2_ws/src/robot_arm_package/urdf/
    cp -r ~/ros2_ws/src/arduino_robot_arm/robot_arm_pkg/meshes/* ~/ros2_ws/src/robot_arm_package/meshes/

• 🔗 URDF File: The URDF file describing the robot model.

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📂 5. Creating and Updating Files:

• Update the CMakeLists.txt and package.xml files:
  • 🔗 CMakeLists.txt: The CMake configuration file for this package.
  • 🔗 Package.xml: The package file.
• Create Launch File to visualize the robot in RViz:

cd ~/ros2_ws/src/robot_arm_package
mkdir -p launch
nano launch/display.launch.py

• 🔗 Launch File: The launch file to start the robot visualization.

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🏗️ 6. Build and Launch

1. Build the workspace:

cd ~/ros2_ws
colcon build

2. Source the setup file:

source install/setup.bash

3. Launch the URDF:

ros2 launch robot_arm_package display.launch.py

• Set the "Fixed Frame":

  • In RViz, go to the "Global Options" section in the "Displays" panel on the left.
  • Set the "Fixed Frame" to base.

• Add a "RobotModel" Display:

  • In the "Displays" panel, click the "Add" button at the bottom.
  • In the "By display type" tab, select "RobotModel" and click "OK".
  • Set the "Description Topic" to /robot_description.

4. Using the Joint State Publisher GUI

ros2 run joint_state_publisher_gui joint_state_publisher_gui

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Done!! You should now see the robot arm model visualized in RViz and be able to interact with its joints using the Joint State Publisher GUI.

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