Generic control toolbox

This ROS package defines libraries that are generic to the control algorithms used in my research, in an attempt to maximize code re-usability.

Provided libraries

Controller template

Provides a generic template for defining robot controllers with an actionlib interface. Maintains an actionlib server and automatically stops/starts the controller based on the current action state. Communicates over joint_states messages.

Controller action node

In robot systems that do not provide a ROS control implementation, this class will implement the loop of subscribing to the robot joint_states topic and publish a joint_states message with the desired controller output.

KDL Manager

Implements several utility methods for using KDL, and allows managing several kinematic chains simultaneously, and interfacing between sensor_msgs/JointState messages and KDL formats.

Wrench manager

Utility class to interface with several force-torque sensors and converting measurements to a configurable point.

Matrix parser

Allows parsing a matrix from a ROS parameter.

Marker manager

Facilitates publishing markers in ROS.

Dependencies

This is a ROS package and relies on a ROS instalation. Assuming the "full" version of your ROS distro, this package depends on the package realtime_tools:

  $ sudo apt-get install ros-<distro>-realtime-tools

where you should replace <distro> with the ROS distribution name (e.g., indigo).

Tested in ROS indigo and kinetic.

Implementing a controller

To implement a controller you inherit from the ControllerTemplate class and implement the pure virtual methods. This will enhance your controller with an actionlib interface.

Example

Create a package named my_controller, which should define an actionlib action file (Example.action) as in the actionlib tutorial. In the class definition file, you should have something like

// Other includes
#include <my_controller/ExampleAction.h>
#include <generic_control_toolbox/controller_template.hpp>

class MyController : public generic_control_toolbox::ControllerTemplate<ExampleAction,
                                                                        ExampleGoal,
                                                                        ExampleFeedback,
                                                                        ExampleResult>
{
public:
  MyController(const std::string &action_name);

  // destructor, other public methods/members

private:
  sensor_msgs::JointState controlAlgorithm(const sensor_msgs::JointState &current_state, const ros::Duration &dt);
  bool parseGoal(boost::shared_ptr<const ExampleGoal> goal);
  bool init();
  void resetController();

  // other public methods/members
};

The action_name element of the constructor must be passed to the ControllerTemplate constructor to initialize the actiolib server. An example of an implemented controller using this template can be found in the sarafun_folding_assembly folding controller definition.