RoAH RSBB Comm ROS

This repository contains a ROS package that can be used to communicate with the ERL-SR RSBB (Referee, Scoring and Benchmarking Box). To install and know more about the RSBB, see this repo.

The repository RoAH RSBB Comm from https://github.com/rockin-robot-challenge/at_home_rsbb_comm is included as a git submodule.

⚠️ Please remember to always update right before the competitions!

git pull
git submodule update --init

Dependencies

You need to have installed a C++11 compiler, CMake, Boost, Protobuf and OpenSSL.

If you are using Ubuntu, install the dependencies with:

sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake libboost-all-dev libprotoc-dev protobuf-compiler libssl-dev

Furthermore, you need to use at least ROS Hydro, follow the instructions at http://wiki.ros.org/ROS/Installation/ .

This package was successfully tested on Ubuntu 12, 14, 16 and 18.

Compiling

After git clone and after every git pull, please do:

git submodule update --init

Compile as a normal ROS package in your Catkin workspace.

Running

Use the launch file test.launch as a base to run the node in your launch files. All parameters except team_name and rsbb_key have sensible defaults. You might also want to set robot_name. It can be simplified, you migth use just something like this:

  <node pkg="roah_rsbb_comm_ros" type="comm" name="roah_rsbb_comm" respawn="true">
    <param name="team_name" type="string" value="WinnerTeam"/>
    <param name="robot_name" type="string" value="Ronaldo"/>
    <param name="rsbb_key" type="string" value="TEAM_PRIVATE_PASSWORD"/>
  </node>

To simply test the node, you can use:

roslaunch roah_rsbb_comm_ros test.launch --screen

To launch a dummy robot implementation to check communication use:

roslaunch roah_rsbb_comm_ros dummy.launch --screen

Both the test and the dummy launch files can take the address of the RSBB as a parameter: rsbb_host:=10.2.0.255 . This should be set to the Bcast of the interface you want to use, as reported by ifconfig. Alternatively, you can use the address of the RSBB directly.

Using the Node

During operation, the node always publishes some topics.

Topic	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/benchmark	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Benchmark	Latched, always published, defaults to NONE
/roah_rsbb/devices/bell	std_msgs/Empty	Not latched, published when the bell rings
/roah_rsbb/devices/state	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/DevicesState	Latched, published on reception
/roah_rsbb/tablet/call	std_msgs/Empty	Not latched, published when granny calls
/roah_rsbb/tablet/position	geometry_msgs/Pose2D	Not latched, published when a position is selected
/roah_rsbb/tablet/state	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/TabletState	Latched, published on reception

Topics and services for the benchmarks are only available when the benchmark starts and /roah_rsbb/benchmark becomes something not NONE.

Some topics are common to all benchmarks:

Topic	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/messages_saved	std_msgs/UInt32	Never published, only received.
/roah_rsbb/benchmark/state	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/BenchmarkState	Latched, always published, defaults to STOP

Topic /roah_rsbb/messages_saved should be used to send to the RSBB some kind of metric that shows that offline messages are being saved. Number of messages or size of the bag file can be used. This information is only used to issue a warning as soon as possible if data is not being recorded.

Topic /roah_rsbb/benchmark/state has 3 possibilities:

• STOP: Stop the robot.
• PREPARE: Prepare for benchmark. Move to position.
• EXECUTE: Execute goal.

After EXECUTE, for multiple goals (in functionality benchmarks) PREPARE will be issued again until there are no more goals.

The robot can signal that PREPARE or EXECUTE are complete using the services:

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/end_prepare	std_srvs/Empty	Only available during PREPARE
/roah_rsbb/end_execute	std_srvs/Empty	Only available during EXECUTE

Getting to know my home

No special topics or services.

Welcoming visitors

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/activation_event	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/String	Online data
/roah_rsbb/notifications	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/String	Online data
/roah_rsbb/visitor	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/String	Online data

Catering for Granny Annie’s Comfort

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/devices/blinds/max	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/blinds/min	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/blinds/set	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Percentage	0 <= % <= 100
/roah_rsbb/devices/dimmer/max	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/dimmer/min	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/dimmer/set	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Percentage	0 <= % <= 100
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_1/off	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_1/on	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_1/set	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Bool
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_2/off	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_2/on	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_2/set	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Bool
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_3/off	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_3/on	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/devices/switch_3/set	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Bool
/roah_rsbb/tablet/buttons	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/tablet/map	std_srvs/Empty
/roah_rsbb/final_command	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/String	Online data

Object Perception Functionality

This benchmark has a result, therefore the /roah_rsbb/end_execute service has a different type:

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/end_execute	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/ResultHOPF	Only available during EXECUTE

Navigation Functionality

In this benchmark, waypoints are sent to the robot one by one. Waypoints are published as Pose2D messages to the /roah_rsbb/goal topic.

After the robot calls end_execute the next waypoint is sent, and this repeats for all waypoints.

Speech Understanding Functionality

No special topics or services.

People Perception Functionality

This benchmark has a result (the robot's guess of the person's name and position), therefore the /roah_rsbb/end_execute service has a different type:

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/end_execute	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/ResultHPPF	Only available during EXECUTE

Person Following Functionality

No special topics or services. This benchmark is a bit unorthodox: after execution is requested, the robot should start following the person, and shouldn't call the end_execute service: there is no timeout in this challenge.

Grasping and Manipulation Functionality

In this benchmark, the type of object to be grasped and the position where it should be placed are sent to the robot as GoalHGMF messages published to the /roah_rsbb/goal topic.

Overriding benchmark selection for testing

The override service can be used to simulate RSBB input, for testing.

Service	Type	Notes
/roah_rsbb/override	roah_rsbb_comm_ros/Override	Always available

To know if the proper responses are being sent back to the RSBB you have to use rqt_logger_level to set ros.roah_rsbb_comm_ros to the Debug level. Then use rqt_console to see if the messages contain the appropriate content. The robot states and benchmark states used for communication are more complex than the ones presented here, but they do not need to be fully understood to check the messages. Still, full information is available here: https://github.com/joaocgreis/roah_rsbb_comm .

To revert the node to normal operation use:

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 0}"

Getting to know my home

The benchmarks all follow the same structure.

• Start the benchmark in stop state:

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 1, benchmark_state: 0}"

• Start preparing:

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 1, benchmark_state: 1}"

• The robot should prepare and then call the end_prepare service as if by rosservice call /roah_rsbb/end_prepare

• Send the goal (nothing in this case, just a start signal):

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 1, benchmark_state: 2}"

• As soon as the RSBB detects the robot is executing, it should start waiting for the result:

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 1, benchmark_state: 3}"

The robot should run and then call the end_execute service as if by rosservice call /roah_rsbb/end_execute to complete the goal.

For benchmarks with more goals, the RSBB asks to start preparing until complete, then stop.

If a timeout occurs, a stop is sent.

Welcoming visitors

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 2, benchmark_state: 0}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 2, benchmark_state: 1}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 2, benchmark_state: 2}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 2, benchmark_state: 3}"

Catering for Granny Annie’s Comfort

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 3, benchmark_state: 0}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 3, benchmark_state: 1}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 3, benchmark_state: 2}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 3, benchmark_state: 3}"

Object Perception Functionality

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 4, benchmark_state: 0}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 4, benchmark_state: 1}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 4, benchmark_state: 2}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 4, benchmark_state: 3}"

The goal should be completed with something like:

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/end_execute "{object_class: cups, object_name: red_cup, object_pose: {x: 0.1, y: 0.2, theta: 1.23} }"

Speech Understanding Functionality

rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 6, benchmark_state: 0}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 6, benchmark_state: 1}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 6, benchmark_state: 2}"
rosservice call /roah_rsbb/override "{benchmark_type: 6, benchmark_state: 3}"

Support

If you have any questions, please add them as issues on this repo.