MoveIt2 Configuration

Please ensure that the web control program backend process is not running in the background. To close it, refer to the [Get Started Quickly - 2. Access the Terminal] section in [Disable the Auto-Start Web Control Backend Process]. After closing, please restart DofbotUltra!!!

MoveIt2 is an advanced software framework for robot motion simulation, planning, and control.

Note: This tutorial is only a configuration demonstration. It is strongly recommended to directly use our pre-configured Ubuntu 22.04 image. The pre-configured image does not require complex environment setup again. Please skip directly to the next section, 2. MoveIt Usage tutorial.

1. Environment Setup

Motherboard: VMware Workstation virtual machine Ubuntu 22.04 image

ROS2: Humble

Note: This tutorial is only a configuration demonstration. It is strongly recommended to directly use our pre-configured Ubuntu 22.04 image. The pre-configured image does not require complex environment setup again.

Note: This tutorial is only a configuration demonstration. It is strongly recommended to directly use our pre-configured Ubuntu 22.04 image. The pre-configured image does not require complex environment setup again.

1.1. Install MoveIt2

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sudo apt install ros-humble-moveit*

The Jetson Orin series motherboards have been tested and can run MoveIt2 related cases directly on the board, with acceptable overall fluency!

1.2. Create Folder

Create the auto-generated configuration files for MoveIt2:

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mkdir ~/dofbot_ultra_ws/src/dofbot_ultra_moveit

2. MoveIt2 Configuration

MoveIt Setup Assistant is a graphical tool used to simplify and accelerate the creation and configuration of MoveIt2 configuration packages.

Through this tool, users can easily generate configuration files for robot motion planning and control without manually editing complex configuration files.

2.1. Launch Assistant

Launch the MoveIt Setup Assistant:

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ros2 launch moveit_setup_assistant setup_assistant.launch.py

For first-time use, you can choose to create a new MoveIt configuration package. For later simple modifications, you can choose to edit an existing MoveIt software package:

Creating a new MoveIt configuration package requires importing the robot URDF model: Simply importing the URDF model file into the MoveIt Assistant may cause errors. You need to use the compiled software package (dofbot_ultra_description) URDF file path.

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/home/yahboom/dofbot_ultra_ws/src/dofbot_ultra_description/urdf/DOFBOT_ultra-V24.urdf

After selecting the URDF file, click Load File, and the MoveIt Assistant will display the robot model:

2.2. Collision Detection

The self-collision matrix is a function used to optimize motion planning. Its main purpose is to generate a matrix that describes whether collisions may occur between each link in the robot model.

This matrix helps the motion planner avoid unnecessary collision detection during path planning, thereby improving planning efficiency.

To generate the self-collision matrix, click the MoveIt Setup Assistant option to auto-generate:

2.3. Virtual Joint

A virtual joint is used to define the relationship between the robot model and the external world.

Virtual joints are typically used to describe the connection between the robot base (base) and a fixed reference frame (such as the world coordinate system).

Fix the robot base link base_link to world:

• Virtual Joint Name: virtual_joint

• Child Link: base_link

• Parent Frame Name: world

• Joint Type: fixed

2.4. Motion Planning Group

Planning groups are a key step in configuring robot motion planning.

Planning groups define which joints and links in the robot can move together and how their motion is planned.

Plan the arm group: arm_group

• Group Name：arm_group

• Kinematic Solver：kdl_kinematics_plugin/KDLKinematicsPlugin

• Kin. Search Resolution (sampling density in joint space)：0.005

• Kin. Search Timeout (solution timeout)：0.005

• Add Joints：Select the arm joints

Joints：Arm1_Joint、Arm2_Joint、Arm3_Joint、Arm4_Joint、Arm5_Joint

Plan the gripper group: grip_group

• Group Name：grip_group

• Kinematic Solver：None

• Kin. Search Resolution (sampling density in joint space)：0.005

• Kin. Search Timeout (solution timeout)：0.005

• Add Links：Select the gripper links

Links：rlink1、rlink2、rlink3

2.5. Robot Poses

Arm Poses

Set three predefined arm poses in the robot configuration:

Manually move the sliders to set each joint state: up, down, init

Gripper Poses

Set two predefined gripper poses in the robot configuration:

Manually move the sliders to set the gripper state: open, close

2.6. End Effector

Set the gripper group as the end effector:

End Effector: gripper

• End Effector Name：gripper

• End Effector Group：gripper_group

• Parent Link：Arm5_Link

• Parent Group：None

2.7. Passive Joints

Passive joints are non-actuated joints that cannot be directly controlled. The arm has no passive joints, so skip this step.

2.8. URDF File

MoveIt Setup Assistant automatically sets up command interfaces and state interfaces for each joint. Use the default generated information.

2.9. ROS2 Controllers

ROS2 Controllers is a framework for real-time robot control, which can be used to auto-generate simulation controllers to drive robot joints.

Add the arm controller:

• Controller Name：arm_group_controller

• Controller Type：joint_trajectory_controller/JointTrajectoryController

• Add Planning Group Joints：arm_group

Add the gripper controller:

• Controller Name：grip_group_controller

• Controller Type：position_controllers/GripperActionController

• Add Planning Group Joints：grip_group

2.10. MoveIt Controllers

MoveIt requires a trajectory controller with the FollowJointTrajectoryAction interface to execute planned trajectories. This interface sends the generated trajectory to the robot ROS2 controller.

The added MoveIt Controllers must ensure that the controller names match those configured in ROS2 Controllers.

Add the arm controller:

• Controller Name：arm_group_controller

• Controller Type：FollowJointTrajectory

• Add Planning Group Joints：arm_group

Add the gripper controller:

• Controller Name：grip_group_controller

• Controller Type：Gripper Command

• Add Planning Group Joints：grip_group