Instructions: Laikago working with ROS.

The test environment is:

Ubuntu 16.04 + ROS Kinetic.

Ubuntu 18.04 + ROS Melodic.

Remember rename lib file when switch x86 platform and ARM platform.

Dependencies:

Gazebo8

Configuration:

Make sure the following exist in your ~/.bashrc file or export them in terminal. kinetic, gazebo-8 and ~/catkin_ws should be replaced in your own case.

source /opt/ros/kinetic/setup.bash
source /usr/share/gazebo-8/setup.sh
source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash
export ROS_PACKAGE_PATH=~/catkin_ws:${ROS_PACKAGE_PATH}
export GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH=~/catkin_ws/devel/lib:${GAZEBO_PLUGIN_PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/catkin_ws/devel/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}

Build:

• cd ~/catkin_ws
• catkin_make

laikago_controller:

This ros-type controller allow user control joints with position, velocity and torque.

laikago_msgs:

ros-type message, including command and state of high-level and low-level control. It would be better if it be compiled firstly, otherwise you may have dependency problems (such as that you can't find the header file).

laikago_description:

including mesh, urdf and xacro files of laikago.

• roslaunch laikago_description laikago_rviz.launch

The robot should be spawned in Rviz.

laikago_gazebo:

Gazebo8 is recommended. Notice that it is not compatible with other versions like Gazebo7. Make sure unders have been installed:

sudo apt-get install ros-kinetic-controller-manager ros-kinetic-ros-control ros-kinetic-ros-controllers ros-kinetic-joint-state-controller ros-kinetic-effort-controllers ros-kinetic-velocity-controllers ros-kinetic-position-controllers ros-kinetic-robot-controllers ros-kinetic-robot-state-publisher ros-kinetic-gazebo8-ros ros-kinetic-gazebo8-ros-control ros-kinetic-gazebo8-ros-pkgs ros-kinetic-gazebo8-ros-dev

• roslaunch laikago_gazebo normal.launch

The robot should be lying on the ground with joints not activated.

• rosrun laikago_gazebo laikago_servo

The robot will stand up slowly.

• rosrun laikago_gazebo laikago_external_force

You can add external disturbances with this node, like a push or a kick.