Elfin Robot

Chinese version of the README -> please click here

This repository provides ROS2 support for the Elfin Robot. The recommend operating environment is on Ubuntu 20.04 with ROS Foxy. So far These packages haven't been tested in other environment.

Installation

Ubuntu 20.04 + ROS Foxy

Install some important dependent software packages:

$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-joint-trajectory-controller
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-controller-manager
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-trajectory-msgs
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-gazebo-ros2-control*
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-joint-state-controller
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-position-controllers

Install related software packages:

$ sudo apt-get install build-essential libgtk-3-dev
$ sudo pip3 install wxpython
$ sudo pip3 install transforms3d

Install or upgrade MoveIt!.

If you have installed MoveIt!, please make sure that it's been upgraded to the latest version.

Install/Upgrade MoveIt!:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install ros-foxy-moveit

Install this repository from Source

First set up a catkin workspace (see this tutorials).
Then clone the repository into the src/ folder. It should look like /path/to/your/catkin_workspace/src/elfin_robot.
Make sure to source the correct setup file according to your workspace hierarchy, then use catkin_make to compile.

Assuming your catkin workspace folder is ~/catkin_ws, you should use the following commands:

$ cd ~/catkin_ws/src
$ git clone -b foxy_ethercat https://github.com/hans-robot/elfin_robot_ros2.git
$ cd ..
$ colcon build
$ source install/setup.bash

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Usage with Gazebo Simulation

There are launch files available to bringup a simulated robot - either Elfin3, Elfin5 or Elfin10.
In the following the commands for Elfin3 are given. For Elfin5 or Elfin10, simply replace the prefix accordingly.

Bring up the simulated robot in Gazebo and Start up RViz with a configuration including the MoveIt!:

$ ros2 launch elfin3_ros2_moveit2 elfin3.launch.py

Start up elfin basic api and "Elfin Control Panel" interface:

$ ros2 launch elfin3_ros2_moveit2 elfin3_basic_api.launch.py
$ ros2 launch elfin_basic_api fake_elfin_gui.launch.py

Tutorial about how to use MoveIt! RViz plugin: docs/moveit_plugin_tutorial_english.md
Tips: Every time you want to plan a trajectory, you should set the start state to current first.

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Usage with real Hardware

There are launch files available to bringup a real robot - either Elfin3, Elfin5 or Elfin10.
In the following the commands for Elfin3 are given. For Elfin5 or Elfin10, simply replace the prefix accordingly.

Put the file elfin_drivers.yaml, that you got from the vendor, into the folder elfin_robot_bringup/config/.Then copy the parameters in this file to the elfin_robot_bringup/config/elfin_arm_control.yaml

Connect Elfin to the computer with a LAN cable. Then confirm the ethernet interface name of the connection with ifconfig. The default ethernet name is eth0. If the ethernet name is not eth0, you should correct the following line in the file elfin_robot_bringup/config/elfin_arm_control.yaml

elfin_ethernet_name: eth0

Bring up the hardware of Elfin. Before bringing up the hardware, you should setup Linux with PREEMPT_RT properly. There is a tutorial. There are two versions of elfin EtherCAT slaves. Please bring up the hardware accordingly.

$ sudo chrt 10 bash
$ ros2 launch elfin3_ros2_moveit2 elfin3_moveit.launch.py

Start up RViz with a configuration including the MoveIt! Motion Planning plugin:

$ sudo su
$ ros2 launch elfin3_ros2_moveit2 elfin3_moveit_rviz.launch.py

Start up elfin basic api:

$ sudo su
$ ros2 launch elfin3_ros2_moveit2 elfin3_basic_api.launch.py

Start up "Elfin Control Panel" interface:

$ sudo su
$ ros2 launch elfin_basic_api elfin_gui.launch.py

Enable the servos of Elfin with "Elfin Control Panel" interface: if there is no "Warning", just press the "Servo On" button to enable the robot. If there is "Warning", press the "Clear Fault" button first and then press the "Servo On" button.

Tutorial about how to use MoveIt! RViz plugin: docs/moveit_plugin_tutorial_english.md
Tips: Every time you want to plan a trajectory, you should set the start state to current first.

Before turning the robot off, you should press the "Servo Off" button to disable the robot.

For more information about API, see docs/API_description_english.md