Coppelia Sim ROS Interface

Package build on top of CoppeliaSim simulator using mostly PyRep package to communicate with the simulator. Enables control of a simulator via ROS2 messages and services.

Package provides possibility to manage scene objects and robot control.

Tested version: Ubuntu 20.04, ROS2 Galactic, CoppeliaSim 4.1.0 Edu.

Diagram of the nodes in package:

graph TD;

subgraph "Scene control (ROS services)"
S1
S2
S3
end

subgraph "Scene info (ROS messages)"
T1
T2
end

subgraph "Robot control (ROS messages) (2 modes)"
T3
T4
end

S1("/add_or_edit_object") --> I
S2("/remove_object") --> I
S3("/gripper_control") --> I

I --> T1("/coppelia/object_info")
I --> T2("/coppelia/left_camera <br> /coppelia/right_camera")

T3("Joint states control <br> /relaxed_ik/joint_angle_solutions <br> OR <br> CUSTOM_TOPIC") --> I
T4("Pose control <br> /ee_pose_goals") --> I

I("mirracle sim ROS interface <br> Python3.X") --> P("PyRep <br> Python3.X")
P --> C("Coppelia Sim (Main)")
C --> P
P --> I

CSE("Coppelia Sim Example * <br> (examples/coppelia_sim_example.py) <br> * launched without ROS interface") --> P
P --> CSE
CSRE("Coppelia Sim ROS Example <br> (examples/coppelia_sim_ros_example.py)") --> I
I --> CSRE

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Installation

Install alongside teleop_gesture_toolbox.

Usage:

1. Check if CoppeliaSim running correctly without ROS2, run given example:

cd <coppelia_sim_ros_interface>/examples
python coppelia_sim_example.py

2. Run CoppeliaSim example with ROS.

3. Terminal: Server

cd <coppelia_sim_ros_interface>/<coppelia_sim_ros_interface>
python coppelia_sim_ros_server.py

2. Terminal: Client

cd <coppelia_sim_ros_interface>/examples
python coppelia_sim_ros_example.py

Example Python function that can be used to communicate with interface are in lib file.

Interface via ROS:

Camera images

Message

Subscribe on /coppelia/left_camera and /coppelia/right_camera to receive Camera Images type Image.

To view camera image, rqt_image_view can be used with command: ros2 run rqt_image_view rqt_image_view /coppelia/left_camera

Call service /add_or_edit_object with argument name='camera' and argument pub_info='true'. (Template function in lib)

Object info

Message

Subscribe on /coppelia/object_info to receive info about objects.

Call service /add_or_edit_object with argument name='<object_name>' and argument pub_info='true' to receive info about object. (Template function in lib)

Add or Edit object

Service

Creates or edit object on scene. If name given does not exist, the object will be created. Service name: /add_or_edit_object Service type: AddOrEditObject from coppelia_sim_ros_interface.srv Service description: file link For calling, template function in lib

Creation priority is:

1. mesh file
2. shape
3. if both mesh & shape not given, a box is created

Remove object

Service

Removes an object from the scene.

Service name: /remove_object Service msg type: RemoveObject from coppelia_sim_ros_interface.srv Service description: file link For calling, template function in lib

Gripper control

Service

Service name: /gripper_control Service msg type: GripperControl from coppelia_sim_ros_interface.srv Service description: file link For calling, template function in lib

Use parameter position as 0.0 for closed gripper and 1.0 for opened gripper. Use effort between 0.0-1.0. Use action grasp or release to attach object to eef. Specify object as object parameter.