New software makes it even easier to develop and control SensoJoint-based cobots
As early as 2021, Sensodrive developed driver software for seamless communication between SensoJoints and ROS software – thus enabling the smooth integration of the powerful complete drives into any ROS-based robot system.
This ROS interface has now been extended to the new ROS 2 platform and expanded with a comprehensive software package in collaboration with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. This enables simple modelling and visualisation in RViz for each cobot equipped with SensoJoints, subsequent simulation in Gazebo, and finally corresponding motion planning and control of the cobot in MoveIt. Integrated tools such as grippers can also be controlled with the new software solution.
And thanks to the ROS 2-EtherCAT driver software, the motion sequences designed and tested in the simulation can be transferred to the cobot seamlessly in real time as needed.
Successful development partnership with the Slovak Technical University
The new ROS 2 software package was developed as part of a Master's thesis at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU). As with the development of the ROS1 interface, Sensodrive fully supervised the work of Master's student Jakub Ivan, defining the goal and software tools. Several SensoJoints and a ready-made SensoRob cobot were also provided for the successful implementation.
The next step: an open source solution for cobot development in record time.
The software solution was developed in its entirelty on a SensoRob from Sensodrive – but many software modules are also universally applicable to other robot systems built with SensoJoints.
To make this possible, Sensodrive will make the developed solution available to the entire ROS community as open source software in the near future. That way every ROS 2 developer can use SensoJoints even more quickly and easily in their own projects – and so turn all the advantages of SensoJoints into competitive advantages for their own company:
- Develop technically leading cobots in just a few months
- Halve time to market
- Save millions in development and certification costs
