Announcement for Hiro (open source) / NEXTAGE OPEN users

[Isaac I.Y. Saito]

Targeted readers of this email
================================

• The Hiro (#1) / NEXTAGE OPEN (NXO) owners.

• Those who are actively using the packages regarding those robots for simulation purpose.

#1 Hiro robot by Kawada Industries is not bundled with the opensource software we're discussing here. TORK provides installation and support service for those software under the manufacturer's approval. Questions should be welcomed at info[a_t]opensource-robotics.tokyo.jp

Contents
=========

1. Start new version announcement cycle.
2. Change log for packages (July 25, 2014), outstanding change.
3. Supported ROS distribution
4. Package update recommendation for robot owners


1. Starting from today, we will regularly send an announcement for the new released package versions regarding the robots in question (Hiro and NEXTAGE OPEN (NXO)).

The typical email will only include the updated version number, and the links to the detail of the change; that said, unless there's a significant change (e.g. API breakage / action required / important new feature), we won't include in the emails the detail of the update. Example from this week should tell you how it looks like.

Please subscribe Hiro / NXO users
------------------------------------------------

I'm BCCing to the users of robots above as much as I'm aware as this is the first status update email. From next time I won't BCC to those. So please consider subscribing to https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rtm-ros-robotics.


2. Change log for packages (July 27, 2014, diff since May 27, 2014).

For ROS Hydro:

• rtmros_hironx 1.0.14 --> 1.0.18 http://docs.ros.org/hydro/changelogs/rtmros_hironx/changelog.html
• rtmros_nextage 0.2.12 → 0.2.15 http://docs.ros.org/hydro/changelogs/rtmros_nextage/changelog.html

Important changes (action may be required)
----------------------------------------------------------

For NXO

• initial pose of the arm by the command robot.goInitial() is changed (to the same one Hiro uses). Please make sure your program works without hitting anything.

• nextage_ros_bridge.launch is removed. Use either nextage_ros_bridge_simulation.launch or nextage_ros_bridge_real.launch

3. Supported ROS distribution

Currently for Hiro and NXO, only ROS Hydro on Ubuntu 12.04 is supported and will be so for at least a next few months. Good thing about it is also Hydro-12.04 combination will likely remain available for awhile.

Thoughts for particular ROS distros
----------------------------------------------------

• Indigo is just recently launched. Since both Indigo and its platform Ubuntu 14.04 are LTS, we're planning to migrate our focus toward it, but not expected until later 2014.
• Groovy is planned to go EOL very soon [1], and also for a few other reasons we presume that few Groovy users exist in Hiro / NXO world.

4. Apt package update repository

Some advanced users may be using a repository called `shadow-fixed`. If you have no idea of what it is, you're good and skip this section.

To apt-get install the packages, please do NOT use shadow-fixed repository of ros.org, unless there's a need. Shadow-fixed repository is there for testing purpose for the developers before the official release.


If you have any opinion or request please inform us either on/off line.

[1] http://answers.ros.org/question/186722/should-i-use-hydro-or-indigo-for-my-new-project/?answer=186831#post-id-186831

--
!Happy opensource robotics!

Isaac I.Y. Saito (齋藤功)
Co-founder, Software Engineer
TORK (Tokyo Opensource Robotics Kyokai Association, 東京オープンソースロボティクス協会)
http://opensource-robotics.tokyo.jp