ROS 2 driver version

[gavanderhoorn]

Edit:

@ted-miller wrote in #465 (comment):

A public beta-version is now available at https://github.com/Yaskawa-Global/motoros2.
If anyone has any questions about this release, please open a topic on the Discussions page.

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This issue would be the place to discuss development approaches for a ROS 2 version of motoman_driver.

There is no requirement to keep the current architecture, nor to host any eventual results in this repository necessarily. Different architectures could be considered and new repositories can be created.

[gavanderhoorn]

@tingelst: you appear to have a fork with an eloquent branch.

Could you comment here on the status of that work?

[tingelst]

@gavanderhoorn
We received three new robot cells with gp25 manipulators some months ago, and we are now working on setting these up. I have also just received a license for MotoPlus and have gotten that up and running with the current ROS1 driver.

I started some initial experiments with ROS2 in the eloquent branch around summer time this year, as we want to move all our robots towards ROS2. However, I didnt get very far at that time.

I would very much like to be a part of this discussion, and will also be able to contribute with development work as getting a ROS2 driver for out motoman robots is a part of our long term strategy.

[tingelst]

@gavanderhoorn
To start up this conversation again.

I have over the last months developed a pure Python 3 library for controlling MOTOMAN robots which you can find here: https://github.com/tingelst/moto.

The moto library interfaces with the current ros industrial driver using the SimpleMessage structures. This library might be a starting point for a new ros2 driver.

Moreover, I have extended the robot driver for real-time control which is synced with the RT clock on the controller. The code can be found here. An accompanying ros2 control hardware interface can be found here.

Has there been any ROS2 development efforts on your side?

[ChocolateDonut]

Hi @tingelst
I'm using ros2 foxy,

• can you tell me how to use moroman driver with it?
  ( I just checked ros2 control hardware interface and it works great :)
• Do I need a license for motolpus ?
  Thanks in advance!

[gavanderhoorn]

Hi @tingelst.

Interesting work. I'll take a look at the packages later.

re: ros2_control hw iface: how do you deal with the latency in the control signals? Afaiu there is quite some latency in the incremental motion API (#219) and you seem to be using that as well.

[tingelst]

Hi, @gavanderhoorn!

Due to the Christmas holidays and reduced lab work due to Covid-19 restrictions, we have not yet performed experiments regarding latency. This is something that is on the agenda this spring.

[AndyZe]

Just commenting to see if @tingelst had any progress to report? I might end up needing a ROS2 driver soon, as well.

My biggest issue in developing a driver is, I don't know of a way to simulate the physical robot, and I don't have great access to a physical robot. Although I probably could arrange it if needed.

[gavanderhoorn]

@ChocolateDonut: I don't have an email in my inbox regarding the MotoROS2 beta.

Can you verify you've sent it to the correct address?

[azalutsky]

Hey guys, im more or less in the same boat- Looking to use ROS2 on dual robot control for Yaskawa Motoman Mini's. Is there a chance I can email you two as well? This sounds promising. My next other option is porting the ROS1 node to ROS2 and it sounds doable but pretty annoying to do. Would much prefer this avenue.

Thanks in advance.

[ted-miller]

@azalutsky Yes, please send us an email with a description of your application. The current version of the interface has some limitations. We just want to make sure that it'll work out.

[adv4ncr]

Would it be possible to get a brief status update? We are in the middle of acquiring a new setup (possibly Yaskawa HC10) and ROS2 support is a decisive factor.

[ted-miller]

MotoROS2 is currently in a closed-beta. There are many updates that need to occur before the public release. We don't have a fixed schedule for these updates. But I would estimate Q1 2023. (Maybe Q2)

[ppbrown]

For those interested, I have started a port to ROS2, of ros-industrial-core and ros-motoman.
https://github.com/users/ppbrown/projects/1/views/1

I estimate it is perhaps 1/2 complete.
Would be nice to have volunteers for coding and testing.

[Skoven]

Any news on how far this is from release?
The article below states that the ROS2 driver would be available in the fall of 2022 ;-).
https://www.motoman.com/en-us/about/blog/ros-2-and-what-it-means-for-your-yaskawa-robotic-a

[ppbrown]

but a normal document, not powerpoint pleaase!
if nothing else, text/web is searchable whereas powerpoint is not.

[azalutsky]

Sure thing, I'll try to put something together this weekend if that is alright, @ppbrown

[kyoungho]

@azalutsky Can you please share it with me as well?

[junaidamin]

@azalutsky Could you share the information with me too please? Thanks

[BrunoB81HK]

@azalutsky Could you share it with me too please? Thanks!

[ted-miller]

A public beta-version is now available at https://github.com/Yaskawa-Global/motoros2.
If anyone has any questions about this release, please open a topic on the Discussions page.