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Overview

This package contains a number of XML specifications for robot models, sensors, scenes, etc. Each XML specification has a corresponding parser in one or more languages.

XML Description

C++

Python

XML Schema

Model

model

Parser API Model API

Model API

urdf.xsd

Sensor

sensor

Components

New in Hydro A number of different packages and components make up urdf. The following diagram attempts to explain the relationship between these components:

urdf_diagram.png

Current Status of URDF Components in Hydro:

Getting Started

There is large set of tutorials on how to build up your own robot models using the URDF specification. Check out the urdf/Tutorials page.

We also developed a macro language called xacro to make it easier to maintain the robot description files, increase their readability, and to avoid duplication in the robot description files.

Examples

See this page for a list of robots described by a URDF model.

Tools

Verification

A command line tool check_urdf attempts to parse a file as a URDF description, and either prints a description of the resulting kinematic chain, or an error message.

For example, to run this tool on the pr2 urdf, first create the urdf file by running:

New in Indigo

Then run the check by running:

Note: You may need to run sudo apt-get install liburdfdom-tools.

New in Hydro

Then run the check by running:

Visualization

Visual Studio Code has a ROS extension that supports URDF visualization.

To get a graphviz diagram of your urdf file, do the following:

New in Indigo In Indigo, the urdf_to_graphiz tool has moved to the liburdfdom-tools package. You may need to run sudo apt-get install liburdfdom-tools if you can't use urdf_to_graphiz

New in Hydro

The result is a file called pr2.pdf that looks something like this:

graphiz.png

Creating URDF

URDF is XML, which is a text format. So you can create the files in any text editor. An IDE with good XML support is recommended.

If there already exists a CAD model of the robot, there are some tools that can be used to convert the CAD model to URDF. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

Known Issues


2024-12-07 18:24