Description: In this tutorial you will learn..
Requirements:
git clone --recurse-submodules git@github.com:urobosim/DemoProject.git
To communicate with the robot in the Unreal Engine from host-machine additional components are required, including the host-side rosbridge, shared ROS messages and descriptions. First, install the following packages for communication via WebSockets, the TF2 buffer, kinematic models and a state publisher.
sudo apt install ros-melodic-rosbridge-server ros-melodic-robot-state-publisher ros-melodic-joint-state-publisher-gui ros-melodic-tf ros-melodic-tf2 ros-melodic-tf2-ros ros-melodic-pr2-arm-kinematics
Further software stacks are needed to control the robot in Unreal via CRAM plans and Giskards motion planner, as well as perception and knowledge inference and logging.
Follow the installation instructions for each of the following software stacks, picking the ones required for your specific purpose. Using separate, overlayed workspaces is recommended.
Now create a catkin workspace for deps from repositories. Use wstool for git imports and rosdep for apt sources.
mkdir -p ~/unreal_project_ws/src cd ~/unreal_project_ws/src wstool init wstool merge https://raw.githubusercontent.com/urobosim/DemoProject/master/rosinstall/unreal_demo_project.rosinstall wstool up rosdep update rosdep install --from-paths --ignore-src . -r
Build the workspace either with the ros-native catkin or with python-catkin-tools, which can be added via apt.
cd ~/unreal_project_ws catkin_make # or 'catkin build' source ~/unreal_project_ws/devel/setup.bash # rather put the top-level workspace in your .bashrc
If the build process wasn't successful, install the missing packages via apt, find missing repositories in the code-iai GitHub group or ask the contributors for help.
Finally, the connection to the ROS network can be established by launching the following nodes. Make sure the workspace is sourced.
#Launch rosbridge for communication between unreal and ROS roslaunch rosbridge_server rosbridge_websocket.launch # Launch urobosim world roslaunch urobosim_ros_config world.launch
Hit the 'Play' button in Unreal. The rosbridge terminal should indicate, that the connection has been established. Also use rostopic list to check, if the controller topics for the robot are published.
Giskard requires the whole_body_controller topics of the robot. To achieve that, make sure the rosbridge to Unreal is running properly.
roslaunch giskardpy giskardpy_pr2_unreal.launch
This launches Giskards trajectory planner. There may occur one timeout error for the state topic, which is fine for now.
Launch RViz by executing rviz. Add the Robot Model to the scene. Add InteractiveMarkers and choose the topic; if /eef_control/update is not available, check the giskard setup again. Use the markers to move the robot and see the robot in Unreal move.
cram-unreal provides
cram-pr2-unreal-process-modules (aka pr2-unreal-pms) provides
Note: Remove CATKIN_IGNORE in the cram_pr2 packages and cram_external_interfaces/cram_urobosim to build them.
Play the map in Unreal. The PR2 should twitch and wiggle its arms a bit if it's good. If not, check the DemoProject repo ReadMe how to troubleshoot.
Startup roslisp_repl. First load cram_pr2_pick_place_demo, then cram_pr2_unreal_process_modules. Start a rosnode with (roslisp-utilities:startup-ros). To start the setting demo, run
(pr2-unreal-pms:with-unreal-robot (demo::setting-demo '(:spoon)))
Run the same launch files as above, but without giskard. Open Emacs, load cram_urobosim and start a node. Try to spawn an object with
(unreal:spawn-object :spoon (cl-tf:make-identity-pose))