AR3_ROS2

ROS2 packages for Annin Robotics AR3 robot arm. AR3 arm used for development had been upgraded to AR4 platform by retrofitting Teensy 4.1 microcontroller with 600 MHz clock speed to reduce latency between processing ROS commands. The observed latency was a result from hybridizing teensy driver code from ar3_core to utilize differential stepping logic from annin robotics driver code in order to maintain constant end-effector Z-height when moving along X/Y cartesian path.

Specs:

• Ubuntu 20.04
• ROS2 Foxy

What was done:

• Ported ar3_core packages from ROS1 to ROS2
• Extended functionality to utilize moveit_servo for xbox controller and wacom tablet input for real-time jogging

REFERENCE(s):

• https://github.com/ongdexter/ar3_core

Packages

1. ar3_hardware

   Workspace containing packages to control physical hardware and recieve input from xbox / wacom controllers.

   Build

   git clone https://github.com/tran-nick/AR3_ROS2.git
   cd ~/AR3_ROS2/ar3_hardware
   source /opt/ros/foxy/setup.bash
   colcon build --symlink-install
   

   Launch Hardware

   source install/setup.bash   # source workspace environment
   ros2 launch ar3_hardware_interface ar3_hardware.launch.py
   

   Launch Rviz + MoveIt

   ros2 launch xboxdemo moveit_servo.launch.py
   

   Launch Input Multiplexing Node

   ros2 launch xboxdemo hmi.launch.py
   

2. ar3_simulation

   Workspace with fake hardware loaded. Used for testing new node developments and visualization.

   Build

   git clone https://github.com/tran-nick/AR3_ROS2.git   # Don't run if you've already cloned repo
   cd ~/AR3_ROS2/ar3_simulation
   source /opt/ros/foxy/setup.bash
   colcon build --symlink-install
   

   Launch

   ros2 launch ar3_moveit_config demo2.launch.py
   

3. teensyduino_sketches

   Teensduino drivers for taking string commands from either ARCS.py program from Annin Robotics or ROS2 application. Code is extension of driver from ar3_core

   • ROS_ARCS_hybrid_indie.ino -- Since we upgraded AR3 with AR4 parts, we needed driver that would work with both Teensy 3.5 and Teensy 4.1 board. This gets the board information from Arduino IDE and conditionally compiles driver based on Teensy you are uploading code to.