Synchronize Robot Pose to RViz Display

When using MoveIt2 or Gazebo for path planning and simulation, accessing the real-time pose of the physical robot is often required as a reference. This functionality collects the robot's joint state data in real time and publishes it to the /joint_states topic, enabling synchronization of the robot's true pose. Data published to this topic can be subscribed to and used by tools like MoveIt2, Gazebo, and RViz for displaying the current robot state, planning paths, or driving simulations.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure:

1. You have completed Environment Installation and Project Build
2. The Agilebot Robot SDK is installed (see Build Project)
3. The robot controller is powered on and connected to the network

Configure Robot IP Address

Edit the gbt_driver/config/robot_config.yaml file and set the robot_ip_address field to the actual IP address of your robot:

vi gbt_driver/config/robot_config.yaml

robot_ip_address: "192.168.x.x"  # Replace with actual robot IP

Start Robot State Synchronization

Launch RViz with robot state synchronization using the following command:

source install/setup.bash
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_bridge.launch.py robot_type:=<robot_type>

Supported Robot Models

• C5A - 5kg payload collaborative robot
• C7A - 7kg payload collaborative robot
• C12A - 12kg payload collaborative robot
• C16A - 16kg payload collaborative robot

Example

For C5A model:

source install/setup.bash
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_bridge.launch.py robot_type:=C5A

Other robot models can be launched similarly:

# C7A robot
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_bridge.launch.py robot_type:=C7A

# C12A robot
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_bridge.launch.py robot_type:=C12A

# C16A robot
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_bridge.launch.py robot_type:=C16A

Verify Synchronization

Method 1: Check RViz Display

After launching, the RViz window will automatically open. You should see:

• The robot's URDF model
• Real-time updating joint states

Method 2: Check Topic Data

In another terminal, view the /joint_states topic:

source install/setup.bash
ros2 topic echo /joint_states

You should see output similar to:

header:
  stamp:
    sec: 1234567890
    nanosec: 123456789
  frame_id: ''
name:
- joint1
- joint2
- joint3
- joint4
- joint5
- joint6
position:
- 0.0
- 0.1
- 0.2
- 0.3
- 0.4
- 0.5
...

Method 3: Check Detailed Feedback Status (Optional)

For more detailed robot status information (including alarm codes, servo status, etc.), you can additionally start the robot_status node:

source install/setup.bash
ros2 launch gbt_driver gbt_feedback.launch.py

Then view the /gbt_driver/feedback_states topic:

ros2 topic echo /gbt_driver/feedback_states

Troubleshooting

Cannot Connect to Robot

1. Verify the robot IP address is correctly configured
2. Check network connectivity: ping <robot IP>
3. Ensure the robot controller is powered on

Robot Pose Not Updating in RViz

1. Check if /joint_states topic is being published:

   ros2 topic hz /joint_states

2. Ensure the robot is in an operable state (not in alarm state)

Module Import Error

If you encounter ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'Agilebot' , ensure the SDK is installed:

pip install Agilebot.Robot.SDK.A-*.whl

---

Note:

• Replace <robot_type> with the actual robot model name (e.g., C5A , C7A , C12A , C16A ).
• Ensure the robot's network configuration is correct before launching.
• For additional configuration details, refer to the Agilebot ROS2 github.