diff --git a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/joint.h b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/joint.h
index c68a298..97b600b 100644
--- a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/joint.h
+++ b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/joint.h
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 
 #include "urdf_model/pose.h"
+#include "urdf_model/types.h"
 
 
 namespace urdf{
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class JointCalibration
 public:
   JointCalibration() { this->clear(); };
   double reference_position;
-  boost::shared_ptr<double> rising, falling;
+  DoubleSharedPtr rising, falling;
 
   void clear()
   {
@@ -196,19 +196,19 @@ class Joint
   Pose  parent_to_joint_origin_transform;
 
   /// Joint Dynamics
-  boost::shared_ptr<JointDynamics> dynamics;
+  JointDynamicsSharedPtr dynamics;
 
   /// Joint Limits
-  boost::shared_ptr<JointLimits> limits;
+  JointLimitsSharedPtr limits;
 
   /// Unsupported Hidden Feature
-  boost::shared_ptr<JointSafety> safety;
+  JointSafetySharedPtr safety;
 
   /// Unsupported Hidden Feature
-  boost::shared_ptr<JointCalibration> calibration;
+  JointCalibrationSharedPtr calibration;
 
   /// Option to Mimic another Joint
-  boost::shared_ptr<JointMimic> mimic;
+  JointMimicSharedPtr mimic;
 
   void clear()
   {
diff --git a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/link.h b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/link.h
index b45f7ae..e470b43 100644
--- a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/link.h
+++ b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/link.h
@@ -40,11 +40,10 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
-#include <boost/weak_ptr.hpp>
 
 #include "joint.h"
 #include "color.h"
+#include "types.h"
 
 namespace urdf{
 
@@ -150,10 +149,10 @@ class Visual
 public:
   Visual() { this->clear(); };
   Pose origin;
-  boost::shared_ptr<Geometry> geometry;
+  GeometrySharedPtr geometry;
 
   std::string material_name;
-  boost::shared_ptr<Material> material;
+  MaterialSharedPtr material;
 
   void clear()
   {
@@ -172,7 +171,7 @@ class Collision
 public:
   Collision() { this->clear(); };
   Pose origin;
-  boost::shared_ptr<Geometry> geometry;
+  GeometrySharedPtr geometry;
 
   void clear()
   {
@@ -194,32 +193,32 @@ class Link
   std::string name;
 
   /// inertial element
-  boost::shared_ptr<Inertial> inertial;
+  InertialSharedPtr inertial;
 
   /// visual element
-  boost::shared_ptr<Visual> visual;
+  VisualSharedPtr visual;
 
   /// collision element
-  boost::shared_ptr<Collision> collision;
+  CollisionSharedPtr collision;
 
   /// if more than one collision element is specified, all collision elements are placed in this array (the collision member points to the first element of the array)
-  std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Collision> > collision_array;
+  std::vector<CollisionSharedPtr> collision_array;
 
   /// if more than one visual element is specified, all visual elements are placed in this array (the visual member points to the first element of the array)
-  std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Visual> > visual_array;
+  std::vector<VisualSharedPtr> visual_array;
 
   /// Parent Joint element
   ///   explicitly stating "parent" because we want directional-ness for tree structure
   ///   every link can have one parent
-  boost::shared_ptr<Joint> parent_joint;
+  JointSharedPtr parent_joint;
 
-  std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Joint> > child_joints;
-  std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Link> > child_links;
+  std::vector<JointSharedPtr> child_joints;
+  std::vector<LinkSharedPtr> child_links;
 
-  boost::shared_ptr<Link> getParent() const
+  LinkSharedPtr getParent() const
   {return parent_link_.lock();};
 
-  void setParent(const boost::shared_ptr<Link> &parent)
+  void setParent(const LinkSharedPtr &parent)
   { parent_link_ = parent; }
   
   void clear()
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ class Link
   };
 
 private:
-  boost::weak_ptr<Link> parent_link_;
+  LinkWeakPtr parent_link_;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/model.h b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/model.h
index bbccf2c..b7b2f96 100644
--- a/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/model.h
+++ b/urdf_model/include/urdf_model/model.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
 #include <urdf_model/link.h>
+#include <urdf_model/types.h>
 #include <urdf_exception/exception.h>
 
 namespace urdf {
@@ -48,10 +49,10 @@ namespace urdf {
 class ModelInterface
 {
 public:
-  boost::shared_ptr<const Link> getRoot(void) const{return this->root_link_;};
-  boost::shared_ptr<const Link> getLink(const std::string& name) const
+  LinkConstSharedPtr getRoot(void) const{return this->root_link_;};
+  LinkConstSharedPtr getLink(const std::string& name) const
   {
-    boost::shared_ptr<const Link> ptr;
+    LinkConstSharedPtr ptr;
     if (this->links_.find(name) == this->links_.end())
       ptr.reset();
     else
@@ -59,9 +60,9 @@ class ModelInterface
     return ptr;
   };
   
-  boost::shared_ptr<const Joint> getJoint(const std::string& name) const
+  JointConstSharedPtr getJoint(const std::string& name) const
   {
-    boost::shared_ptr<const Joint> ptr;
+    JointConstSharedPtr ptr;
     if (this->joints_.find(name) == this->joints_.end())
       ptr.reset();
     else
@@ -71,9 +72,9 @@ class ModelInterface
   
   
   const std::string& getName() const {return name_;};
-  void getLinks(std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<Link> >& links) const
+  void getLinks(std::vector<LinkSharedPtr >& links) const
   {
-    for (std::map<std::string,boost::shared_ptr<Link> >::const_iterator link = this->links_.begin();link != this->links_.end(); link++)
+    for (std::map<std::string,LinkSharedPtr>::const_iterator link = this->links_.begin();link != this->links_.end(); link++)
     {
       links.push_back(link->second);
     }
@@ -89,9 +90,9 @@ class ModelInterface
   };
   
   /// non-const getLink()
-  void getLink(const std::string& name,boost::shared_ptr<Link> &link) const
+  void getLink(const std::string& name, LinkSharedPtr &link) const
   {
-    boost::shared_ptr<Link> ptr;
+    LinkSharedPtr ptr;
     if (this->links_.find(name) == this->links_.end())
       ptr.reset();
     else
@@ -100,9 +101,9 @@ class ModelInterface
   };
   
   /// non-const getMaterial()
-  boost::shared_ptr<Material> getMaterial(const std::string& name) const
+  MaterialSharedPtr getMaterial(const std::string& name) const
   {
-    boost::shared_ptr<Material> ptr;
+    MaterialSharedPtr ptr;
     if (this->materials_.find(name) == this->materials_.end())
       ptr.reset();
     else
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ class ModelInterface
   void initTree(std::map<std::string, std::string> &parent_link_tree)
   {
     // loop through all joints, for every link, assign children links and children joints
-    for (std::map<std::string,boost::shared_ptr<Joint> >::iterator joint = this->joints_.begin();joint != this->joints_.end(); joint++)
+    for (std::map<std::string, JointSharedPtr>::iterator joint = this->joints_.begin();joint != this->joints_.end(); joint++)
     {
       std::string parent_link_name = joint->second->parent_link_name;
       std::string child_link_name = joint->second->child_link_name;
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ class ModelInterface
       else
       {
         // find child and parent links
-        boost::shared_ptr<Link> child_link, parent_link;
+        LinkSharedPtr child_link, parent_link;
         this->getLink(child_link_name, child_link);
         if (!child_link)
         {
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ class ModelInterface
     this->root_link_.reset();
     
     // find the links that have no parent in the tree
-    for (std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Link> >::const_iterator l=this->links_.begin(); l!=this->links_.end(); l++)  
+    for (std::map<std::string, LinkSharedPtr>::const_iterator l=this->links_.begin(); l!=this->links_.end(); l++)
     {
       std::map<std::string, std::string >::const_iterator parent = parent_link_tree.find(l->first);
       if (parent == parent_link_tree.end())
@@ -185,17 +186,17 @@ class ModelInterface
   
   
   /// \brief complete list of Links
-  std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Link> > links_;
+  std::map<std::string, LinkSharedPtr> links_;
   /// \brief complete list of Joints
-  std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Joint> > joints_;
+  std::map<std::string, JointSharedPtr> joints_;
   /// \brief complete list of Materials
-  std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Material> > materials_;
+  std::map<std::string, MaterialSharedPtr> materials_;
 
   /// \brief The name of the robot model
   std::string name_;
 
   /// \brief The root is always a link (the parent of the tree describing the robot)
-  boost::shared_ptr<Link> root_link_;
+  LinkSharedPtr root_link_;
 
 
 
diff --git a/urdf_model_state/include/urdf_model_state/model_state.h b/urdf_model_state/include/urdf_model_state/model_state.h
index b132719..a8c5263 100644
--- a/urdf_model_state/include/urdf_model_state/model_state.h
+++ b/urdf_model_state/include/urdf_model_state/model_state.h
@@ -40,11 +40,10 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
-#include <boost/weak_ptr.hpp>
 
 #include "urdf_model/pose.h"
 #include <urdf_model/twist.h>
+#include "urdf_model_state/types.h"
 
 
 namespace urdf{
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ class ModelState
     this->joint_states.clear();
   };
 
-  std::vector<boost::shared_ptr<JointState> > joint_states;
+  std::vector<JointStateSharedPtr> joint_states;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/urdf_sensor/include/urdf_sensor/sensor.h b/urdf_sensor/include/urdf_sensor/sensor.h
index 3b99695..c19fac1 100644
--- a/urdf_sensor/include/urdf_sensor/sensor.h
+++ b/urdf_sensor/include/urdf_sensor/sensor.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@
 #include "urdf_model/pose.h"
 #include "urdf_model/joint.h"
 #include "urdf_model/link.h"
+#include "urdf_model/types.h"
+#include "urdf_sensor/types.h"
 
 namespace urdf{
 
@@ -148,16 +150,16 @@ class Sensor
   Pose origin;
 
   /// sensor
-  boost::shared_ptr<VisualSensor> sensor;
+  VisualSensorSharedPtr sensor;
 
 
   /// Parent link element name.  A pointer is stored in parent_link_.
   std::string parent_link_name;
 
-  boost::shared_ptr<Link> getParent() const
+  LinkSharedPtr getParent() const
   {return parent_link_.lock();};
 
-  void setParent(boost::shared_ptr<Link> parent)
+  void setParent(LinkSharedPtr parent)
   {  this->parent_link_ = parent; }
   
   void clear()
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@ class Sensor
   };
 
 private:
-  boost::weak_ptr<Link> parent_link_;
+  LinkWeakPtr parent_link_;
 
 };
 }
diff --git a/urdf_world/include/urdf_world/world.h b/urdf_world/include/urdf_world/world.h
index 1d3f000..7b0e8c1 100644
--- a/urdf_world/include/urdf_world/world.h
+++ b/urdf_world/include/urdf_world/world.h
@@ -74,19 +74,18 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <map>
 #include <tinyxml.h>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
-#include <boost/weak_ptr.hpp>
 
 #include "urdf_model/model.h"
 #include "urdf_model/pose.h"
 #include "urdf_model/twist.h"
+#include "urdf_world/types.h"
 
 namespace urdf{
 
 class Entity
 {
 public:
-  boost::shared_ptr<ModelInterface> model;
+  ModelInterfaceSharedPtr model;
   Pose origin;
   Twist twist;
 };