Universal Robots Arm (UR5)

[cmurray3]

This issue covers the use of the UR5 arm.

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Installation

I was able to install a UR5 gazebo simulation using this command:

sudo apt-get install ros-$ROS_DISTRO-universal-robots

After installing, launch the simulator:

roslaunch ur_gazebo ur5_bringup.launch

Unfortunately, this does not include an "end effector" (i.e., a gripper or camera).

Source: https://github.com/ros-industrial/universal_robot

Other documentation:

• Documentation: ur_description package structure ros-industrial/universal_robot#539

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End Effectors:

From what I've seen, Universal Robots makes arms, but not end effectors (EE). Thus, the ROS packages they support only include the arms.

Robotiq seems to be a large player in the EE space, but they don't actively support ROS. Fortunately, this repo provides ROS support for Robotiq EEs:

• https://github.com/TAMS-Group/robotiq

NOTES:

1. I'm not sure how to integrate the UR5 with the Robotiq EEs.
2. I don't know if any of these EEs also involve cameras (or if they are just grippers)

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Here are some other places to look for help:

• https://roboticscasual.com/ros-tutorial-how-to-create-a-moveit-config-for-the-ur5-and-a-gripper/
• https://get-help.theconstruct.ai/t/adding-end-effector-to-ur5-robot/8452
• https://answers.ros.org/question/273096/ur5-end-effector-models/

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Ignore This

I'm saving this link here, but I don't think it's actually useful for our purposes:

• https://github.com/UniversalRobots/Universal_Robots_ROS_Driver

[cmurray3]

This might be the winner thus far:

• https://github.com/pietrolechthaler/UR5-Pick-and-Place-Simulation/tree/main

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More links:

• https://github.com/issaiass/ur5_robotiq_85_picknplace (possibly an example of adding a Robotiq EE to a UR5. Not sure if it actually works)
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ayp87SjrwPc (putting a UR5 on a pedestal)

[JackWuerfelUB]

Potential Gazebo worlds:
https://github.com/aws-robotics/aws-robomaker-small-warehouse-world
Article link: https://discourse.ros.org/t/gazebo-small-warehouse-bookstore-and-small-house-worlds-available-for-simulation/14915

helpful link? :https://app.gazebosim.org/fuel/worlds

UR5 model with gripper: https://app.gazebosim.org/AndrejOrsula/fuel/models/ur5_rg2
other UR5 different options: https://app.gazebosim.org/AndrejOrsula/fuel/collections/manipulators

[cmurray3]

UR5 teams:
Not sure if you've seen this, but this is a nicely-documented project involving the use of a UR arm (a UR3, I believe) to play chess. The end effector is from Robotiq.

• https://sir.upc.edu/projects/rostutorials/final_work/index.html

[JackWuerfelUB]

Hello UR5 people,

Here are some things I've learned / am stuck on while trying to get the following github repo to function: https://github.com/pietrolechthaler/UR5-Pick-and-Place-Simulation

Setting it up properly..

1. during initial setup run catkin_make instead of catkin build
2. install python package pyquartiernion
   2.1 $ pip install pyquaternion
3. the command : rosrun vision vision.py -show needs to be rosrun vision lego-vision.py -show
4. When running the command: rosrun levelManager levelManager.py -l [level] , this spawns diff brick configs
   4.1 Do: rosrun levelManager levelManager.py -l 1
   4.2 Or: rosrun levelManager levelManager.py -l 2

Where I am at..
I can get the world to spawn. I can then get the bricks generated. I am having issues with the rosrun motion_planning command.. it's stuck at initializing kinematics. Visual does not work either compared to the video.

I'll edit this message if I make any progress. Last edit 4/6 11:34AM

[JackWuerfelUB]

Hello Dr. Murray,

The UR5 people convened and are wondering if you are available at 3:30PM on Thursday (4/11)?

[cmurray3]

Thursday at 3:30 works for me.

On Zoom or in 427 Bell?

[btle1]

Zoom would work the best for the UR5 teams.

[JackWuerfelUB]

Zoom link?

[cmurray3]

See the urdf_to_graphiz tool mentioned here:
https://wiki.ros.org/urdf

It could be helpful as you start tracing the connections among the component parts of your UR5/Robotiq models

[JackWuerfelUB]

Hello Professor,

During out meeting you had mentioned that you were able to follow the steps listed on this website: https://sir.upc.edu/projects/rostutorials/final_work/index.html#provided-packages. and then launch the environment.

How were you able to do steps 2 and 3. I dont see a way to signup for gitioc (gitlab).
Steps 2 and 3:
Follow the procedure shown in Procedure to prepare the exercises to import in the intro2ros/2023/teamXX/FINAL-WORK subgroup of your GitLab account the package:

        chesslab_setup: https://gitioc.upc.edu/rostutorials/chesslab_setup.git

In your git-projects folder clone the chesslab_setup project of your GitLab account inside an final-work subfolder (change XX by your team number). You can use https:

git clone https://gitlab.com/intro2ros/2023/teamXX/final-work/chesslab_setup.git final-work/chesslab_setup

or ssh:

git clone git@gitlab.com:intro2ros/2023/teamXX/final-work/chesslab_setup.git final-work/chesslab_setup

Any advice would be beneficial. Thank you.

[btle1]

A promising repository that we could potentially use: https://github.com/ClangWU/ur5_package
Needed to install moveit: https://moveit.ros.org/install/

I was able to move the robot and control the gripper through Rviz under the motion planning tab. For programming purposes we would need to figure out how to use the moveit package with python commands.

[cmurray3]

Hi, Jack,
For the chesslab repo, I just cloned the original repo:

cd ~/catkin_wsFinalWork/src
git clone https://gitioc.upc.edu/rostutorials/chesslab_setup.git

So, my ~/catkin_wsFinalWork/src directory ended up with chesslab_setup and ros2223-final-project directories (plus CMakeLists.txt)

[cmurray3]

A promising repository that we could potentially use: https://github.com/ClangWU/ur5_package Needed to install moveit: https://moveit.ros.org/install/

I was able to move the robot and control the gripper through Rviz under the motion planning tab. For programming purposes we would need to figure out how to use the moveit package with python commands.

This looks super encouraging!

It would be very helpful if you can trace/document the sequence of files that are used in the .launch process of that guy's project.

Agree with you that figuring out how to use MoveIt via Python will also be good.