sr_utilities

This package contains utility libraries. There are examples of using python implementation of HandFinder utility in HandCommander and RobotCommander. Check the test file for an example of using C++ implementation of HandFinder.

ROS interface

Controller Spawner

controller_spawner.py spawns the ROS controllers necessary for Shadow dexterous hands, based on a config file.

The default config file is in sr_interface/sr_robot_launch/config/controller_spawner.yaml. The config file contains all possible ROS controllers, organised into controller groups. You can specify a different config file using the config_file_path parameter.

When the controller spawner is run, it finds any running Shadow dexterous hands, and based on the controller_group parameter, launches the subset of controllers appropriate for the joints in the running hands. It also puts any relevant controller parameters defined in the controller_configs section of the config file on the parameter server.

Other controller groups defined in the config file are also stored on the ROS parameter server under /controller_groups for ease of controller group switching later.

Any controllers defined in the config file, relevant to the currently running hands, but not part of the requested controller group will be stopped.

Wrist joints can be excluded from the launched controllers using the exclude_wrist parameter.

How long the spawner waits for controller management services to come up is defined by the service_timeout parameter.

The wait_for parameter can be used to specify the name of a topic that the spawner will wait for before attempting to spawn controllers.

Examples:
For trajectory and position controllers

rosrun sr_utilities controller_spawner.py _controller_group:=trajectory

Spawns only the position controllers

rosrun sr_utilities controller_spawner.py _controller_group:=position

In some cases it may be better to control the wrist joints with the arm trajectory. To remove the joints from the hand trajectory set a private parameter ~exclude_wrist to true.

rosrun sr_utilities controller_spawner.py _exclude_wrist:=true

Changelog for package sr_utilities

1.4.0 (2015-04-07)

• initialize commands to current state

1.3.1 (2014-07-18)

1.3.0 (2014-02-11)

• first hydro release