centauro-simulator meta-package README description

Directores:

• centauro

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It includes the description of the robot, i.e. the urdf represantation, in addition to the rviz launch file.

• centauro_gazebo

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It contains all files related to the gazebo simulator including the world files configuring the gazebo environment, and the main launch file.

• documentation

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It presents the naming convention of different elements of the robot; for instance:

actuator: motor_{joint_name}: ex. motor_hip

transmission: t_{joint_name}: ex. t_hip

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Running procedure:

• running the simulation:

roslaunch centauro_gazebo centauro_world.launch

• running the simulation with arguments:

roslaunch centauro_gazebo centauro_world.launch arg:=value ex. roslaunch centauro_gazebo centauro_world.launch legs:=false paused:=false hands:=false gui:=true rviz:=true gazebo:=false

• additionally, two scripts are provided to publish missing transforms from robot_state_publisher:

rosrun centauro_ros load_fixed_transforms - loads static transforms for fixed joints not recognized by a robot_state_publisher (requires urdfdom_py package)

rosrun centauro_ros gazebo_base_transform - publishes a transform from 'world' to 'pelvis' for a floating base system

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Optional arguments:

Basic simulation set-up

Argument	Default	Values	Description
gazebo	true	true, false	whether the gazebo simulation should be run or not
rviz	false	true, false	whether the rviz visualization tool should be run or not
middleware	xbotcore	xbotcore, ros_control	which middleware should be used to connect with gazebo
xbot_config_file	configs/ADVR_shared/centauro/configs/config_centauro.yaml	string	path to xbot config file

Gazebo configuration parameters

Argument	Default	Values	Description
paused	true	true, false	if the simulation should be paused at the beginning, may be useful if initialization takes time
use_sim_time	true	true, false	if ROS should be driven by a simulation time or the world clock
gui	true	true, false	if gazebo GUI should be started
debug	false	true, false	if gazebo should start through gdb
physics	ode	ode, bullet, simbody	which physics engine should be loaded
verbose	false	true, false	if verbose logging information should be loaded

CENTAURO model configuration parameters

Defined which part of the robot should be loaded

Argument	Default	Values	Description
arms	true	true, false, right, left	if 'false' arms are not loaded, if 'left'/'right' only this arm is loaded
torso	true	true, false, fixed	if torso should be loaded, if not also the rest of upper-body is not loaded, if 'fixed' torso_yaw joint is fixed
legs	true	true, false	if legs should be loaded, if not also wheels are not loaded
head	false	true, false	if head should be loaded
wheels	false	true, false	OBSOLETE: if wheels should be loaded
static	false	true, false	if the system is floating base or static
mass	0	positive number	5x5x5 cm box is added 10 cm from a last arm joint axis of mass kg
left_end_effector	stick	stick, heri, soft_hand, schunk_hand, fixed_soft_hand, unknown*	which end_effector should be loaded on the left arm, if unknown no end_effector will be loaded
right_end_effector	stick	stick, heri, soft_hand, schunk_hand, fixed_soft_hand, unknown*	which end_effector should be loaded on the right arm, if unknown no end_effector will be loaded

• 'unknown' argument means any string that is not defined as a specific value for this argument

CENTAURO model actuators configuration

Defines which part of the robot should be actuated

Argument	Default	Description
torso_actuators	true	if torso should be actuated
arm_actuators	true	if arms should be actuated
leg_actuators	true	if legs should be actuated
wheels_actuators	true	if wheels should be actuated
head_actuators	true	if head should be actuated

CENTAURO model sensors configuration

Defines which sensors should be loaded for the robot

Argument	Default	Description	Depends
arm_sensors	true	if sensors on arms should be loaded
leg_sensors	true	if sensors on legs should be loaded
ft_sensors	true	if force-torque sensors should be loaded
bumbers	true	if bumber sensors should be loaded
imu	true	if imu should be loaded	pelvis
kinect	true	if kinect plugin should be loaded	head
velodyne	true	if velodyne plugin should be loaded	head

CENTAURO collision and visualization models

Argument visual_model: default value mesh

Argument collision_model: default value convex_hull

For robot visualization and collision models two arguments 'visual_model' and 'collision_model' are defined, respectively. Each accepts any of following values

Value	Description
mesh	load realistic mesh file for each link
simplified	load simplified realistic mesh files
convex_hull	load file describing a convex hull object for each link
capsule	load capsules computed based on the model
unknown*	load predefined primitives

In case a specific model is not defined for some links, the predefined primitives will be loaded for these links.

• 'unknown' argument means any string that is not defined as a specific value for this argument

A simulation environment that should be loaded:

WARNING: exactly one parameter has to be true, otherwise simulation behaviour is undefined -->

Argument	Default	Description
world_name	$(find centauro_gazebo)/worlds/centauro.world	which simulation environment should be loaded
kinematic_param	original	name of a .xacro file with simulator kinematic parameters w.r.t $SIMULATOR_PATH/centauro-simulator/centauro/centauro_urdf/kinematic_parameters folder
inertia_param	original	name of a .xacro file with simulator dynamic parameters w.r.t $SIMULATOR_PATH/centauro-simulator/centauro/centauro_urdf/inertia_parameters folder

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How To Generate URDF from Xacro

• Example with current set of argument:

rosrun xacro xacro --inorder -o test.urdf centauro.urdf.xacro GAZEBO:=false ARMS:=true TORSO:=true ARM_ACTUATORS:=true LEGS:=true LEG_ACTUATORS:=true TORSO_ACTUATORS:=true WHEELS:=false WHEELS_ACTUATORS:=false STATIC:=false COLLISION_MODEL:=convex_hull VISUAL_MODEL:=mesh END_EFFECTOR:=stick ARM_SENSORS:=false MASS:=0 INERTIA_PARAM:=original KINEMATIC_PARAM:=original HEAD_ACTUATORS:=true HEAD:=true

• Using script generating urdf file calling:

$SIMULATOR_PATH/centauro-simulator/centauro/centauro_urdf/script/create_urdf_srdf_sdf.sh centauro

WARNING: it uses the parameters defined in: $SIMULATOR_PATH/centauro-simulator/centauro/centauro_urdf/urdf/config/ros_args

the new urdf file $SIMULATOR_PATH/centauro-simulator/centauro/centauro_urdf/urdf/centauro.urdf is generated ONLY IF this file does not exists.