home-service-bot

Overview

This is a meta-package containing the packages for performing an object pickup and dropoff "home service" via the add_markers and pick_objects packages' nodes. mapping_bot's rtabmap (along with teleop_twist_keyboard and move_base) can be used for mapping the environment and then localizing the robot using the generated graph during the "home service".

• add_markers: Contains the add_markers node providing the services for manually showing and hiding a marker in RViz. It is also capable of notifying the pick_objects node to move the robot for pickup after a node is shown, and of hiding and re-showing the marker after successful pickup and dropoff.

• pick_objects: Contains the pick_objects node providing a service for conveniently sending navigation goals to move_base. It is also capable of notifying the add_markers node of the transferring and successful pickup and dropoff of the marker.

• mapping_bot: Contains the Gazebo environment and robot model along with the required configuration and launch files for bringing up the rtabmap, rtabmapviz, move_base, and teleop_twist_keyboard nodes.

License

The source code is released under an MIT license.

Author/Maintainer: George Sotirchos

The home-service-bot package has been tested under ROS Kinetic in a docker container on Ubuntu 20.04 (see Running in Docker section). This is experimental, personal project code, and possibly subject to frequent changes with any need for explanation disclaimed.

Installation

Building from Source

Dependencies

• ros-kinetic
• ros-kinetic-rtabmap-ros
• ros-kinetic-move-base
• ros-kinetic-teleop-twist-keyboard

Building

To build from source, with ROS Kinetic on Ubuntu 16.04, clone the latest version from this repository into your catkin workspace and compile the package with the following commands:

mkdir -p /catkin_ws/src
cd catkin_ws/src
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/gsotirchos/home-service-bot
cd ../
rosdep install --from-paths . --ignore-src
catkin_make
# please place the downloaded database file at ./src/home-service-bot/mapping-bot/mapping_bot/databases/rtabmap.db

The rtabmap.db database file (~500MB) containing a graph for localization can be downloaded from the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b5pvZWY5gWn9cGNwS4kvx6GS7iLyPiKr/view?usp=sharing

Running in Docker

Install Docker.

Spin up a container with GUI forwarding for X11 applications:

docker run \
    -ti \
    --rm \
    --network=host \
    --env="DISPLAY" \
    --env QT_X11_NO_MITSHM=1 \
    --device=/dev/dri:/dev/dri \
    --volume="$HOME/.Xauthority:/root/.Xauthority:rw" \
    --name ros-container \
    mjenz/ros-kinetic-desktop-full \
    bash

This downloads the mjenz/ros-kinetic-desktop-full image from mjenz's Docker repository, indicates that it requires an interactive terminal (-t, -i), gives it a name (--name), removes it after you exit the container (--rm), sets the required environment variables (--env) and access to local resources (--device, --volume) to be able to launch graphical applications (Gazebo, RViz, rqt_graph, etc.), and runs a command (bash).

Now, continue with the instructions from the Building section.

Usage

Using shell scripts

The various features in this meta-package can be conveniently launched with the shell scripts in the scripts directory. The following scripts are available:

• scripts/test_slam.sh: Starts the Gazebo simulation environment, and brings up the rtabmap node in SLAM mode along with an rtabmapviz window, and the teleop_twist_keyboard node.
• scripts/test_navigation.sh: Starts the Gazebo simulation environment, brings up the rtabmap node in localization mode along with the move_base node, starts a configured rviz window, and waits for the database map to load and the robot to be localized.
• scripts/pick_objects.sh: Starts the Gazebo simulation environment, brings up the rtabmap node in localization mode along with the move_base node, starts a configured rviz window, waits for the database map to load and the robot to be localized, brings up the pick_objects node, and moves the robot to the pickup and dropoff locations.
• scripts/add_markers.sh: Starts the Gazebo simulation environment, brings up the rtabmap node in localization mode along with the move_base node, starts a configured rviz window, waits for the database map to load and the robot to be localized, brings up the add_markers node, and shows and hides a marker at the pickup and dropoff locations in 5 second intervals.
• scripts/home_service.sh: Starts the Gazebo simulation environment, brings up the rtabmap node in localization mode along with the move_base node, starts a configured rviz window, waits for the database map to load and the robot to be localized, brings up the pick_objects and add_markers nodes, and performs a pickup and dropoff demo: a pickup marker is shown, the robot moves to it, waits 5 sec, and then moves to another location where it places the marker.

Using launch files

If you prefer to manually launch each launch file rather than use the shell scripts, then use the following steps to achieve the same result (except for the pickup and dropoff demo).

1. Start the Gazebo environment containing the robot:

   roslaunch mapping_bot world.launch

2. Start the rtabmap node in localization mode along with the move_base node:

   roslaunch mapping_bot localization.launch rviz:=false move_base:=true

   Alternatively, start the rtabmap node in SLAM mode along with rtabmapviz, and then the teleop_twist_keyboard node:

   roslaunch mapping_bot mapping.launch
   roslaunch mapping_bot teleop.launch

3. Start the pick_objects node:

   rosrun pick_objects pick_objects

4. Start the add_markers node:

   rosrun add_markers add_markers

Launch files

All the launch files used can be found in the mapping_bot/launch folder of the mapping-bot package.

Nodes

add_markers

In addition to providing services for showing markers in RViz, this node implements a communication interface for cooperating with the pick_objects node by sharing state information using topics.

Published Topics

• visualization_marker (visualization_msgs/Marker)

  The marker message for showing and hiding markers in RViz.

• /add_markers/marker_state (std_msgs/Int8)

  The current state of the marker. Can be one of the following:

  • Finished = 0
    No pickup or dropoff is to be executed. The robot's state has no effect on the marker state.
  • Pickup = 1
    A pickup is to be executed. If notified about the robot's state changing to Finished (0) then any markers will be hidden and the marker's state will advance to Dropoff (2).
  • Dropoff = 2
    A dropoff is to be executed. If notified about the robot's state changing to Finished (0) then a marker will be shown at the last goal issued to move_base and the marker's state will advance to Finished (0).

Subscribed Topics

• /pick_objects/robot_state (std_msgs/Int8)

  Receive information about changes to the robot's state. Specifically, when the robot's state changes to Finished (0) then either a pickup or a dropoff has been completed and a marker will have to be hidden or shown respectivelly.

• /move_base/goal (move_base_msgs/MoveBaseActionGoal)

  Receive the last issued navigation goal for move_base. The goal's pose information is used to determine the location of the marker shown after a sucessful dropoff.

Services

• ~show_marker (pick_objects/MarkerPose)

  Shows a marker at the requested location specified by the x coordinate, y coordinate, and rot rotation.

  rosservice call /add_markers/show_marker \
  "x: 0.0
  y: 0.0
  rot: 0.0"

• ~hide_marker (std_srvs/Trigger)

  Hides any visible markers.

  rosservice call /add_markers/hide_marker

pick_objects

A SimpleActionClient<MoveBaseAction> client is provided, which is capable of sending navigation goals to move_base and receiving the action's status information upon completion. This node also implements a communication interface for cooperating with the add_markers node by sharing state information using topics.

Published Topics

• /pick_objects/robot_state (std_msgs/Int8)

  The current state of the marker. Can be one of the following:

  • Finished = 0
    The robot has succesfully moved to the goal location. By sharing this state information the add_markers node is able to proceed to the next pickup/dropoff procedure state.
  • Failed = 1
    The robot has failed to move to the goal location. This state change does not advance the pickup/dropoff procedure.
  • Moving = 2
    The robot is now moving towards the goal location. This state change does not advance the pickup/dropoff procedure.

• /move_base/goal (move_base_msgs/MoveBaseActionGoal)

  The navigation goal for move_base published via the pick_objects action client.

Subscribed Topics

• /add_markers/marker_state (std_msgs/Int8)

  Receive information about changes to the marker's state. Specifically, in the event of the marker's state changing to Pickup (1) while the robot is not moving (either Finished or Failed) then the robot will start moving towards the shown pickup marker.

• visualization_marker (visualization_msgs/Marker)

  The marker message published by the add_markers node. This information is used to determine the goal location after a pickup marker is shown.

Services

• ~move_robot (pick_objects/MarkerPose)

  Moves the robot to the requested location specified by the x coordinate, y coordinate, and rot rotation.

  rosservice call /pick_objects/move_robot \
  "x: 0.0
  y: 0.0
  rot: 0.0"

rtabmap

The aspects of the rtabmap node used in this project are the same as those used in the maping-bot project.

move_base

The SimpleActionServer server implementation provided by move_base is utilized to move the robot while monitoring its state by sending goals through the pick_objects node's SimpleActionClient<MoveBaseAction> client.

Action Subscribed Topics

• /move_base/goal (move_base_msgs/MoveBaseActionGoal)

  A goal for move_base to pursue in the world.

Action Published Topics

• move_base/status (actionlib_msgs/GoalStatusArray)

  Provides status information on the goals that are sent to the move_base action.

Bugs & Feature Requests

Please report bugs and request features using the Issue Tracker.

ROS: http://www.ros.org
RTAB-Map's ROS package: https://github.com/introlab/rtabmap_ros
move_base ROS package (ROS Navigation stack): https://github.com/ros-planning/navigation
teleop_twist_keyboard ROS package: https://github.com/ros-teleop/teleop_twist_keyboard