In this module, we will learn how to use the MoveIt! Setup assistant tool that helps us configure almost everything we need to work with MoveIt! This is divided into two lectures.

Note: In the video illustration, the TurtleBot appears as a part of the URDF file. But that is only to relate to last week. And since we will not be using MoveIt! to control the TurtleBot, you will not see it on the URDF model visualization in the setup assistant display.

First setup your ROS environment and launch the setup assistant.
$ source $HOME/hrwros_ws/devel/setup.bash
$ roslaunch moveit_setup_assistant setup_assistant.launch


This gives a graphical interface where you will need to follow these steps.

• Add URDF file path
• Load model
  • • on the right side, a graphical view of the factory will be provided
    • No TurtleBot will be seen on your display as we will not use MoveIt! to control it

Self-Collision Checking (left pane) here we set up information regarding what pairs of robot links should be checked for collision. This saves execution time.

• MoveIt! does so by sampling random joint values and checks if the configuration collides
  • • collision geometry we added as URDF elements are used here. This provides a list of link pairs that can be disabled.

Virtual joints are an optional step to give MoveIt! a fixed reference in our world this is handy for robot arms on mobile platforms.

• Define that our URDF is a fixed reference point with respect to robot1_base_link. The same needs to be done for robot2_base_link.

Planning Groups indicate a set of links and joints for which we intend to plan motions using MoveIt! We want to do this for our two robot arms.

• Add Group
  • • give the group a name
    • Kinematic Solver: trac_ik_kinematics_plugin/TRAC_IKKinematicsPlugin
    • Group Default Planner: RRTConnect
    • Add Kinematic Chain
      • • start: robot1_base_link
        • end: vacuum_gripper1_suction_cup

This needs to be done for any number of robots we would like to control with MoveIt!