🚜 Forklift Odometry (ETV216)

📖 Overview

The Forklift Odometry Project develops a ROS package to estimate the odometry of a Jungheinrich ETV216 forklift using CAN bus data and the robot’s kinematic model to publish accurate pose and velocity information.

📁 Package Content

• cititruck_description

  • launch/: RViz config files
  • mesh/: 3D models of the forklift (.dae format)
  • urdf/: Xacro files for the forklift description

• launch/: All ROS launch files

• rviz_configs/: RViz configurations

• scripts/:

  • Forklift_Kinematics_Odometry.py: Final ROS node
  • Forklift_Kinematics_Odometry_1.py: Development trials

• CMakeLists.txt

• package.xml

⚙️ Node Description

The ForkliftOdometry ROS node:

• Subscribes to CAN frames for wheel travel and steering angles
• Calculates linear and angular velocities
• Updates the forklift’s pose and orientation using kinematic equations
• Publishes odometry and path info as ROS messages
• Broadcasts transform between odom and base_link

🔧 Features

• 📡 CAN-based data input
• 🔁 Real-time odometry calculation
• 🧭 Path generation using PoseStamped messages
• 🔄 Transform broadcasting with TF
• ⚙️ Configurable parameters (e.g. wheelbase, frame ID)

🧩 Node Structure

• Initialization: Publishers/subscribers setup
• Frame Handling: Parses CAN data and triggers calculations
• Odometry & Path Publishing: Uses kinematics for motion estimation
• TF Broadcasting: Keeps coordinate frames aligned
• Main Execution: Runs the node at a defined frequency

🎥 Demo