CASPR-RViz

CASPR-RViz is an RViz interface for visualizing cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) in CASPR.

Installing CASPR-RViz:

Requirements:

1. ROS

• Install ROS on your Linux platform (ROS Kinetic Installation)
• Make sure your ROS installation includes rviz (e.g. Desktop-Full Install)

2. CASPR

• Install CASPR on MATLAB

3. Robotics System Toolbox

• Install Robotics System Toolbox on MATLAB to use ROS on the MATLAB side

Steps:

1. Clone CASPR-RViz to your Linux platform

git clone https://github.com/darwinlau/CASPR-RViz.git

2. Build CASPR-RViz

cd CASPR-RViz && catkin_make

3. Configure ROS

• Connect the platforms that you installed CASPR-RViz and CASPR
• Note the IP of the platform that you built CASPR-RViz by ifconfig
• Edit the ~/.bashrc file by gedit ~/.bashrc
• Put the following lines in your ~/.bashrc file and save it:

export ROS_IP=[caspr-rviz IP]
export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://$ROS_IP:11311

where [caspr-rviz IP] refers to the IP of your CASPR-RViz platform

Setting up CASPR-RViz:

RViz-side:

1. Add environment variables

source devel/setup.bash

2. Launch RViz with:

roslaunch caspr_rviz caspr_rviz.launch

3. Enable visualization of meshes and transformations

• Add Marker and TF by pressing the Add button of the RViz Display panel

4. Save Config for convenience

CASPR-side:

1. Configure CASPR-RViz interface in CASPR

• Note the IP of the platform that you installed CASPR by ifconfig (Linux) or ipconfig (Windows)
• Call the following function to set the config of CASPR-RViz interface in CASPR:

CASPRRViz_configuration.SetROSConfig('[caspr-rviz IP]','[caspr IP]');

where [caspr-rviz IP] refers to the IP of your CASPR-RViz platform, and [caspr IP] refers to the IP of your CASPR platform

Using CASPR-RViz:

1. Launch CASPR-RViz

source devel/setup.bash
roslaunch caspr_rviz caspr_rviz.launch

2. Launch CASPR GUI on CASPR (MATLAB)

CASPR_GUI

Static visualization:

1. Select your desired model in the Model drop down menu of CASPR GUI

2. Press the To RViz button on CASPR GUI

3. Select world in the Global Options > Fixed Frame drop down menu on the RViz Display panel

4. Verify that the robot is successfully visualized in RViz

Kinematics simulation:

1. Select your desired model in the Model drop down menu of CASPR GUI

2. Press the Kinematics button in Simulators

3. Press the Run button in Kinematics Simulator to run a simulation

4. After the simulation is finished, press the RViz button to visualize the robot's motion

Dynamics simulation:

1. Select your desired model in the Model drop down menu of CASPR GUI

2. Press the Dynamics button in Simulators

3. Press the Run button in Dynamics Simulator to run a simulation

4. After the simulation is finished, press the RViz button to visualize the robot's motion and force vectors

Customizing visualization:

Cables:

1. Change the thickness of the cables by:

rosparam set /cable_scale scale

2. Change the color (RGBA) of the cables by:

rosparam set /cable_color [R,G,B,A]

Links:

1. Change the color (RGBA) of the links by:

rosparam set /link_color [R,G,B,A]

Cable forces:

1. Change the magnitude of the force arrows by:

rosparam set /force_scale scale

2. Change the shape of the force arrows by:

rosparam set /force_arrow_scale [x,y,z]