ROS Wrapper for KUKA youBot API

The KUKA youBot API wrapper provides a mapping between messages for the ROS framework and the KUKA youBot API method calls. With this wrapper you can move the base and the arm of the KUKA youBot. You need to send ROS messages as commands. The proprioceptive sensor measurements like odometry and joint angles of the KUKA youBot arm and the wheels are published on ROS topics.

Installation

This install guide assumes that ROS is already installed, preferably the Ubuntu package based installation for Ubuntu 10.04, as described in http://www.ros.org/wiki/electric/Installation/Ubuntu. The ros-electric-ros-base installation will be sufficient. The KUKA youBot OODL API is required as well. To install the wrapper issue these commands:

$ sudo apt-get install ros-electric-pr2-controllers # required for trajectory_msgs
$ mkdir ~/ros_stacks   # (if not done already)
$ cd ~/ros_stacks
$ git clone https://github.com/youbot/youbot-ros-pkg.git
$ git clone git://github.com/ipa320/cob_common.git

In case ~/ros_stacks (the folder you have chosen to place the youbot-ros-pkg) has not yet been added to the $ROS_PACKAGE_PATH, you need to add this directory, by appending it in the /opt/ros/electric/setup.sh and either restarting the terminal window or typing:

$ source /opt/ros/electric/setup.bash

You can check if it works if the command roscd youbot_oodl goes to the youbot_oodl folder. To compile the wrapper driver use rosmake:

$ rosmake --rosdep-install youbot_oodl

Usage

To start the driver you have to open a terminal window and start the roscore:

$ roscore

Then open another terminal and go to the launch folder of the youbot oodl driver (e.g. by typing roscd

youbot oodl/launch) and use the start script:

$ roslaunch youbot_oodl youbot_oodl_driver.launch
$ roslaunch youbot_oodl youbot_joint_state_publisher.launch

Please note, that currently there is no roslaunch file because the driver needs root permissions for the EtherCAT access.

The youbot_oodl package comes with two simple example applications. The first one is a keyboard based teleoperation application for the base. You can start it with:

$ rosrun youbot_oodl youbot_keyboard_teleop.py

The following keys can be used to move the KUKA youBot:

    u      i     o
    j      k     l
    m      ,     .

Where as i means forward, , backwards, j left, l right, m turn left on spot, . turn right on spot, u move an left-sided arc and o an right-sided arc. All other keystrokes will stop the KUKA youBot.

The second sample application allows to set joint angles for an arm. It asks for values for each arm. When all values are specified, the command will be executed. You can start the sample with:

$ rosrun youbot_oodl youbot_arm_test

Further documentation on the wrapper can be found in the KUKA youBot User Manual.

Support

• get help
• mail to users@youbot-community.org (or click here to subscribe)