8. Convert Twist to TwistStamped in Ecosystem and Run-Time Configuration

Task description

This project is comprised of 2 smaller projects that can be easily worked on in parallel.

Subproject A: Convert Twist to TwistStamped in Ecosystem

The aim of this project is to identify places in the ROS 2 ecosystem that make use of Twist in the context of cmd_vel coming out of Navigation. This includes things like Nav2, ROS 2 Control, Gazebo ROS Plugins, Yuk’s Velocity Filter, major robot drivers, etc. A set of previously identified places is shown in the ticket linked below.

Once you’ve created a list of places in the ecosystem where it is used, your project will be to submit PRs on their ROS 2 branches to change the interface to make use of a TwistStamped instead of a Twist.

Subproject B: Run-time Reconfiguration of Parameters

In the meantime while you’re waiting for PRs to be merged or blocked by reviews on converting all of the ecosystems cmd_vel use of Twist to TwistStamped, your project will be to enable run-time reconfiguration of the major parameters in Nav2. In ROS 2 this is done via the parameter change event callbacks. See tickets below for a list of plugins or servers needing dynamically reconfigurable parameter support added.

Project difficulty: Medium

Project community mentor: Steve Macenski @SteveMacenski

Mentor contact details: [See link above, link in GitHub profile description]

Project output requirements - Convert all the major ecosystem projects into TwistStamped - Enable run-time reconfiguration of the remaining plugins and servers in Nav2 missing - Ensure that reconfiguration is thread-safe by using locks, atomic variables, or callback groups

Skills required

  • C++, Python3

  • ROS 2

List of relevant open source software repositories and refs

Licensing - All contributions will be under the Apache 2.0 license. - No other CLA’s are required.