mxw-robot

mxw_robot_component

Maxwhere module written in nodejs, to visualize and control "any" robot from Robot Operating System

Usage:

Copy the module to components/robot folder (which is next to your app.js)

In maxwhere app:

const robot = require('./components/robot') wom.installComponent(require('./components/robot'), 'robot')

Add the robot node to your app (for example to the wom load ready function), and specify your settings file:

wom.render(<robot file='settings.txt' controller={controller}
/>)

### Config Createing settings file (location /robot/resources/): Parameters:

• auto_load(default:0) <---automaticly load robot(s)
• show_controller(default:0) <---add controler browser window to robot(s)
• show_joint_controller(default:0) <---add joint controller browser windows to robot(s) (show only when succecfully connected)
• debug_controller(default:0) <---show js debug console to (the first) controler browser
• debug_joint_controller(default:0) <---show js debug console to (the first) joint controler browser

### Adding robot(s) Plus specify one or more robot:

• ROS_IP [IP:PORT of ROS]

• position {optional} [position of the robot] --default { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 },

• rate {optional} [update frequency of tf] --default 60

• BaseLink {optional} [fix link of the robot] --default "base_link"

• scale {optional} [scale of the robot] --default 1

• zoom {optional} [if the mesh was increased during convertation, you can set it here] --default 1

  For example:

  ROS_IP=163.172.157.86:9090;position={{ x: 600, y: 0, z: -300 }};rate=50;BaseLink=world;zoom=100;scale=1
  

  For complete example check settings.txt in resources folder

  ### Meshes

  Finally place the mesh files of the robot to resources folders subfolder named the same as the robots name specified in the URDF file

  For example:

  resources/iiwa/

  ## IMPORANT! Maxwhere uses ogre mesh files (http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php) so if you have other format you must convert it to ogre mesh(for help check ConvertReadMe)

  OR you can use one of the preconverted robots available in the following link:

  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-bi1_x93sJ5dUNnWVFwRmRybzA?usp=sharing

  Available robots are:

• ABB IRB2400

• ABB IRB5400

• ABB IRB6600

• ABB IRB6400

• FANUC LRMATE200IC

• FANUC M10IA

• FANUC M16IB

• FANUC M20IA

• FANUC M430IA2P

• KUKA IIWA7

• KUKA IIWA14

• KUKA YOUBOT

Description

The project built on the robotwebtools project roslib.js module.

https://github.com/RobotWebTools/roslibjs

ROS

There are the follwing important things must be running on ROS in order to use the modul:

Robot Description

The robot's URDF file must be loaded to the ROS's robot_description parameter

For example:

<param name="robot_description" command="$(find xacro)/xacro --inorder '$(find abb_irb6600_support)/urdf/irb6640.xacro'" />

The module reads this to get all the neccesary detail about the robot. For example links and joints etc.

Transfer Function

The module reads the robots movement from the /tf topic

So there must be a /tf topic and the robots position must be forwarded to it.

Rosbridge Server

You must install and run a rosbridge server as specified here:

http://wiki.ros.org/rosbridge_server

It connects ROS with javascript, allowing for example to subscribe and to publish to any ROS topic.

Robot State Publisher

You must install and run a robot state publisher server as specified here:

http://wiki.ros.org/robot_state_publisher

It publish the state of the robot to the /tf topic.

Joint State Publisher

In order to control the robot, you must install and run a joint state publisher server as specified here:

http://wiki.ros.org/joint_state_publisher

Editing launch file

If you add the following lines to your launch file the packages and nodes will start automaticly

  <node name="joint_state_publisher" pkg="joint_state_publisher" type="joint_state_publisher" />
  <node name="robot_state_publisher" pkg="robot_state_publisher" type="robot_state_publisher" />
  <include file="$(find rosbridge_server)/launch/rosbridge_websocket.launch" />

Example projects

The module has been tested with the follwing ROS projects:

https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb

https://github.com/SalvoVirga/iiwa_stack

https://github.com/ros-industrial/fanuc

!Note you must add Rosbridge, Robot State Publisher and Joint State Publisher to these projects in order to work with the module.