/joint_states to /move_group

[Shawn Schaerer]

I am having an issue with moveIt and planning (<current_state> not updating) and think I have my problem narrowed down.

using RQT graph I can see the my /joint_states topic is not linked to the /move_group node

Does anyone know how to set this up or where my problem could be?

I have a UR5 and motoman moveIt coniguration and when I launch their demo.launch files the link between /joint_states and /move_group happens.

Any ideas or if someone knows where the links are created, please let me know.

Thank you 

[Ankit Vora]

I read on some other posts that your robot needs to publish its current state on the /joint_states topic. This is then read by move_group to execute the trajectory if you have controllers loaded. If you're simulating on gazebo, then you need to alter your urdf. If you're running o a real robot, there should be some package in the API which would be publishing this topic. 

I'm having similar issues where I'm trying to get the /joint_states of my quadrotor.

Ankit

[Shawn Schaerer]

Hi Ankit,

my joint_states topic is updating fine,  I just don't have it publishing to /move_group (or move group has not subscribed to it).

[Ankit Vora]

launch the move_group launch file in (your_robot)_moveit_config folder. See if /joint_states comes up as a topic in rostopic list. Alternatively, did you do rostopic info on /joint_states when your configuration is running ? What's the output ?

[Shawn Schaerer]

Hi Ankit,

Yes,  I have done that.  I am much farther along then you think :)  

My robot moves with moveIt and I can get it to execute paths, etc.  the issue is that the current_state in the planner is never updated with my current joint values.  It looks like (to me) that the issue is that /joint_states is not connected to move_group.   my UR5 and Motoman robots all work and have the link.  I have 90% verified my moveIt config and launch files against both robots and now am going through all of it with a fine toothed comb.  it could be something with my URDF file, not sure. 

This is why I am trying to understand where, how and when the move_group node subscribes to the /joint_states topic.  If there is something not correct there then I can fix it.

Thank you for your input and suggestions.  Please let me know if you can think of anything else

[Shawn Schaerer]

Problem solved.

My robot has its own namespace and I needed to remap /joint_states to /myrobot/joint_states in my move_group.launch file

  <node name="move_group" launch-prefix="$(arg launch_prefix)" pkg="moveit_ros_move_group" type="move_group" respawn="false" output="screen" args="joint_states:=/myRobot/joint_states $(arg command_args)">

I also did not have the correct name for "myrobot" :P

works now.

[Ankit Vora]

Awesome! :)