Overview

This package is for online updating baxter's URDF(fig1). Due to the reason that baxter will reset its URDF when restart it every time. So in our case, we installed a FT sensor(fig2) in baxter's arm which means we need update its urdf with FT sensor otherwise the pose of gripper can not be retrived accurately.

Reference

Gripper Customization Install this package first birl_baxter_common

How to use it

There are two ways to online update urdf ##First: update urdf with FT sensor rosrun birl_baxter_online_urdf_update update_urdf.py restore to original urdf rosrun birl_baxter_online_urdf_update restore_to_original.py

Second

Get your computer's current time with this bash command $ date +'secs:%s nsecs:%N' Publish the URDFConfiguration message to the /robot/urdf topic. From a baxter.sh shell: $ rostopic pub -l /robot/urdf baxter_core_msgs/URDFConfiguration -f ***.yaml Now, to view our masterpiece in RViz: $ rosrun rviz rviz

Figure 1. Baxter URDF without FT sensor

Figure 2. Baxter URDF with FT sensor