pointcloud_raw_ex are not reaching Autoware

[eitoga]

Hello, I'm using Autoware and AWSIM Unity Project. I created a node to publish /sensing/lidar/top/pointcloud_raw_ex to manipulate point clouds, but I'm running into an issue.

(Here's a log showing the TF breaking)

When I check if the topic is being published using ros2 topic echo, I can see that my custom node is publishing the topic correctly. So, I added some code to fix the TF connection, but Autoware still doesn’t recognize the topic.

However, if I use AWSIM's default method to publish pointcloud_raw_ex without using my custom node, everything works fine.

What's the problem?

Configuration:
Ubuntu 20.04
AWSIM v1.3.0

[maxime-clem]

The error messages about the TF are expected. Localization is responsible for publishing the map -> base_link transform but without the lidar data it cannot localize.

Your issue sounds like a QoS issue.
Please share the result of ros2 topic info /sensing/lidar/top/pointcloud_raw_ex -v as it will show the QoS of each publisher and subscriber of the topic.

[eitoga]

Thank you for your reply!

The result of ros2 topic info /sensing/lidar/top/pointcloud_raw_ex -v is this.

Type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2

Publisher count: 2

Node name: velodyne_ros_wrapper_node
Node namespace: /sensing/lidar/top
Topic type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
Endpoint type: PUBLISHER
GID: 01.10.40.5c.bd.7c.e9.0e.96.09.47.97.00.00.2f.03.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
QoS profile:
Reliability: BEST_EFFORT
History (Depth): KEEP_LAST (10)
Durability: VOLATILE
Lifespan: Infinite
Deadline: Infinite
Liveliness: AUTOMATIC
Liveliness lease duration: Infinite

Node name: point_cloud_filter_node
Node namespace: /sensing/lidar/top
Topic type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
Endpoint type: PUBLISHER
GID: 01.10.cd.45.72.dc.64.7b.2b.fa.c0.92.00.00.18.03.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
QoS profile:
Reliability: BEST_EFFORT
History (Depth): KEEP_LAST (5)
Durability: VOLATILE
Lifespan: Infinite
Deadline: Infinite
Liveliness: AUTOMATIC
Liveliness lease duration: Infinite

Subscription count: 3

Node name: traffic_light_occlusion_predictor
Node namespace: /perception/traffic_light_recognition/traffic_light/classification
Topic type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
Endpoint type: SUBSCRIPTION
GID: 01.10.1c.24.2a.7d.ea.e4.c1.8d.0b.d3.00.00.20.04.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
QoS profile:
Reliability: BEST_EFFORT
History (Depth): KEEP_LAST (5)
Durability: VOLATILE
Lifespan: Infinite
Deadline: Infinite
Liveliness: AUTOMATIC
Liveliness lease duration: Infinite

Node name: traffic_light_occlusion_predictor
Node namespace: /perception/traffic_light_recognition/traffic_light/classification
Topic type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
Endpoint type: SUBSCRIPTION
GID: 01.10.1c.24.2a.7d.ea.e4.c1.8d.0b.d3.00.00.24.04.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
QoS profile:
Reliability: BEST_EFFORT
History (Depth): KEEP_LAST (5)
Durability: VOLATILE
Lifespan: Infinite
Deadline: Infinite
Liveliness: AUTOMATIC
Liveliness lease duration: Infinite

Node name: crop_box_filter_self
Node namespace: /sensing/lidar/top
Topic type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
Endpoint type: SUBSCRIPTION
GID: 01.10.40.5c.bd.7c.e9.0e.96.09.47.97.00.00.44.04.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00
QoS profile:
Reliability: BEST_EFFORT
History (Depth): KEEP_LAST (5)
Durability: VOLATILE
Lifespan: Infinite
Deadline: Infinite
Liveliness: AUTOMATIC
Liveliness lease duration: Infinite

[maxime-clem]

The QoS profile is the same so this is not the issue.
Please let me confirm your issue:

• With AWSIM's default lidar topic: you can localize and run Autoware normally.
• With your custom node's lidar topic: you cannot localize.

How about the frame_id of your lidar messages ? Did you correctly set it to the lidar frame ?
Are you publishing the exact same pointcloud as AWSIM ? If not, maybe your changes to the pointcloud are causing localization failure.

[eitoga]

I also don’t think this is an issue, which is why I categorized it as Q&A. It should be fine, right?

My problem is exactly as you mentioned.
The default AWSIM works fine with velodyne_top as theframe_id so I’m doing the same.

I believe I’m publishing the same point cloud. Here is the content of the message published on the /sensing/lidar/top/pointcloud_raw_ex topic.
What do you think?

[maxime-clem]

It's hard to say. One other issue I can think of is with the timestamp of the pointcloud messages. In AWSIM, the timestamp is based on the simulated /clock. Make sure you are also using this /clock.

[eitoga]

I hadn't considered the timestamp or /clock at all, so that might be the cause of the issue.
Could you tell me how to check /clock?