Description Package¶

The ridgeback_description package provides a URDF model of Ridgeback.

Ridgeback’s URDF model can be visualized in rviz. In terminal, run:

roslaunch ridgeback_viz view_model.launch

Accessories¶

Ridgeback has a suite of optional payloads called accessories. These payloads can be enabled and placed on the robot using environment variables specified at the time the xacro is rendered to URDF. Available accessory vars are:

Variable	Default	Description
`RIDGEBACK_CONTROL_EXTRAS`	`0`	If `1` then the file specified by `RIDGEBACK_CONTROL_EXRAS_PATH` will be loaded
`RIDGEBACK_CONTROL_EXTRAS_PATH`	undefined	The path to a file containing additional custom controls
`RIDGEBACK_USE_MCU`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with an MCU
`RIDGEBACK_FRONT_HOKUYO_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a front-facing Hokuyo LIDAR unit (e.g. UST10)
`RIDGEBACK_FRONT_SICK_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a front-facing SICK LIDAR unit
`RIDGEBACK_FRONT_LASER_HOST`	`192.168.131.20`	The IP address of the front-facing LIDAR unit. If using an S300 sensor, which does not communicate over TCP/IP, see below
`RIDGEBACK_FRONT_S300_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a front-facing S300 sensor
`RIDGEBACK_FRONT_S300_LASER_PORT`	`/dev/clearpath/s300_front`	The port that the front-facing S300 is connected to
`RIDGEBACK_REAR_HOKUYO_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a rear-facing Hokuyo LIDAR unit (e.g. UST10)
`RIDGEBACK_REAR_SICK_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a rear-facing SICK LIDAR unit
`RIDGEBACK_REAR_LASER_HOST`	`192.168.131.21`	The IP address of the rear-facing LIDAR unit. If using an S300 sensor, which does not communicate over TCP/IP, see below
`RIDGEBACK_REAR_S300_LASER`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a rear-facing S300 sensor
`RIDGEBACK_REAR_S300_LASER_PORT`	`/dev/clearpath/s300_rear`	The port that the rear-facing S300 sensor is connected to
`RIDGEBACK_MICROTRAIN_IMU`	`0`	Set to `1` if the robot is equipped with a Microstrain IMU
`RIDGEBACK_MICROTRAIN_IMU_LINK`	`upgraded`	Prepended to `_imu_link` to define the link the IMU is physically connected to
`RIDGEBACK_MICROTRAIN_IMU_PORT`	`/dev/microstrain`	The port that the IMU is connected to
`RIDGEBACK_MICROTRAIN_IMU_TOPIC`	`upgraded`	Prepended to `_imu` to define the topic the IMU publishes to
`RIDGEBACK_MICROSTRAIN_IMU_MOUNT`	`mid`	Prepended to `_mount` to define the mount point that the IMU link is connected to
`RIDGEBACK_MICROSTRAIN_IMU_OFFSET`	`0 0 0`	The XYZ offset of the IMU relative to its mounting point (in meters)
`RIDGEBACK_MICROSTRAIN_IMU_RPY`	`0 0 0`	The Roll/Pitch/Yaw offset of the IMU relative to its mounting point (in radians)
`RIDGEBACK_PS3`	`0`	Set to `1` to enable teleoperation via PS3 controller
`RIDGEBACK_URDF_EXTRAS`	`empty.urdf`	Path to a URDF file with additional modules connected to the robot