HaptX Glove Messages

These messages can be used to actuate the HaptX Gloves.

These are the 8 topics and their associated message types:

• /haptx/rh/brake_state and /haptx/lh/brake_state
  • Message Type: FingerBrakeState
  • Can be used to activate/deactivate the finger brakes of the HaptX Glove
• /haptx/rh/tactor_state and /haptx/lh/tactor_state
  • Message Type: TactorState
  • Can be used to inflate/deflate individual tactors
• /haptx/rh/tactor_group_state and /haptx/lh/tactor_group_state
  • Message Type: TactorGroupState
  • Can be used to inflate/deflate predefined groups of tactors
• /haptx/rh/hand_state and /haptx/lh/hand_state
  • Message Type: FullHandState
  • Can be used to activate the figner brakes and inflate/deflate individual tactors or tactor groups

haptx_interfaces/FingerBrakeState

string[] name
bool[] activated

The FingerBrakeState message contains of:

• A list of strings called name which specifies the names of the finger brake you want to activate/deactivate

  • Options:
    • Right Hand:
      • Thumb: 'rh_th'
      • First Finger: 'rh_ff'
      • Middle Finger: 'rh_mf'
      • Ring Finger: 'rh_rf'
      • Little Finger: 'rh_lf'
    • Left Hand:
      • Thumb: 'lh_th'
      • First Finger: 'lh_ff'
      • Middle Finger: 'lh_mf'
      • Ring Finger: 'lh_rf'
      • Little Finger: 'lh_lf'

• A list of booleans called activated which specifies the state of each finger brake specified in the name list

  • Options:
    • True
    • False

Example Usage:

When published to the haptx/rh/brake_state topic, this message will activate the finger brake on the Right Hand First Finger and Right Hand Middle Finger, and deactivate the finger brake on the Right Hand Little Finger

msg = FingerBrakeState()
msg.name = ['rh_ff', 'rh_mf', 'rh_lf']
msg.activated = [True, True, False]

haptx_interfaces/TactorState

int32[] tactor_id
float64[] inflation

The TactorState message contains of:

• A list of tactor IDs called tactor_id which specifies the IDs of the tactors you want to inflate/deflate

  • Options:
    • 

• A list of floats called inlfation which specifies how much to inflate each tactor specified in the tactor_id list

  • The inflation value should be a float in the range of [0,1]
  • The inflation value specifies the proportion of the max inflation
  • Values below 0.0 will lead to zero inflation, and values above 1.0 will lead to max inflation

Example Usage:

When published to the haptx/rh/tactor_state topic, this message will inflate tactor 1011 to 0.7*MAX_INFLATION, tactor 1023 to 1.0*MAX_INFLATION, etc.

msg = TactorState()
msg.tactor_id = [1011, 1023, 1038, 1237]
msg.inflation = [0.7, 1.0, 0.0, 0.2]

haptx_interfaces/TactorGroupState

string[] tactor_group
float64[] inflation

The TactorGroupState message contains of:

• A list of strings called tactor_group which specifies the names of the tactor groups you want to inflate/deflate

  • Options:
    • Right Hand:
      • Thumb: 'rh_th'
      • First Finger: 'rh_ff'
      • Middle Finger: 'rh_mf'
      • Ring Finger: 'rh_rf'
      • Little Finger: 'rh_lf'
      • Upper Palm: 'rh_palm_top'
      • Lower Palm (side closer to thumb): 'rh_palm_th'
      • Lower Palm (side closer to little finger): 'rh_palm_lf'
      • Full Palm: 'rh_palm_full'
    • Left Hand:
      • Thumb: 'lh_th'
      • First Finger: 'lh_ff'
      • Middle Finger: 'lh_mf'
      • Ring Finger: 'lh_rf'
      • Little Finger: 'lh_lf'
      • Upper Palm: 'lh_palm_top'
      • Lower Palm (side closer to thumb): 'lh_palm_th'
      • Lower Palm (side closer to little finger): 'lh_palm_lf'
      • Full Palm: 'lh_palm_full'

• A list of floats called inflation which specifies how much to inflate each tactor group specified in the tactor_group list

  • The inflation value should be a float in the range of [0,1]
  • The inflation value specifies the proportion of the max inflation
  • Values below 0.0 will lead to zero inflation, and values above 1.0 will lead to max inflation

Example Usage:

When published to the haptx/lh/tactor_group_state topic, this message will inflate the tactors on the Left Hand Thumb to 0.4*MAX_INFLATION, the tactors on the Left Hand Middle Finger to 0.67*MAX_INFLATION, etc.

msg = TactorGroupState()
msg.tactor_group = ['lh_th', 'lh_mf', 'lh_rf']
msg.inflation = [0.4, 0.67, 0.0]

haptx_interfaces/FullHandState

FingerBrakeState brakes
TactorState tactors
TactorGroupState tactor_groups

The TactorGroupState message contains of:

• A FingerBrakeState message called brakes which can be used to activate/deactivate the finger brakes
• A TactorState message called tactors which can be used to inflate/deflate individual tactors
• A TactorGroupState message called tactor_groups which can be used to inflate/deflate tactor groups

Any of these fields are optional. For example, if you only specify tactor_groups, no finger brakes will be activated/deactivated.

If the tactors field specifies values that are contradicted by values in the tactor_groups field, the values in the tactor_groups field will take precedence.

Example Usage:

When published to the haptx/rh/hand_state topic, this message will:

• Activate the finger brakes on the Right Hand First Finger and Right Hand Middle Finger, and deactivate the finger brakes on the Right Hand Little Finger
• Inflate the tactors on the Right Hand Ring Finger to 0.81*MAX_INFLATION and the tactors on the Right Hand Little Finger to 0.12*MAX_INFLATION

msg = FullHandState()
msg.brakes.name = ['rh_ff', 'rh_mf', 'rh_lf']
msg.brakes.activated = [True, True, False]

msg.tactor_groups.tactor_group = ['rh_rf', 'rh_lf']
msg.tactor_groups.inflation = [0.81, 0.12]