A ROS2 Interface for Universal Robots Collaborative Manipulators Based on ur_rtde

TL;DR

This paper introduces a flexible ROS2 driver for Universal Robots manipulators based on ur_rtde, enabling high-level command execution and customization, with open-source availability for diverse applications.

Contribution

A novel ROS2 driver for UR robots based on ur_rtde, supporting high-level commands, plugin customization, and motion execution, enhancing flexibility and usability.

Findings

Driver supports a wide range of applications.

Open-source implementation available.

Enables motion execution along waypoints.

Abstract

In this paper a novel ROS2 driver for UR robot manipulators is presented, based on the ur_rtde C++ library. The proposed driver aims to be a flexible solution, adaptable to a wide range of applications. The driver exposes the high-level commands of Universal Robots URScripts, and custom commands can be added using a plugin system. Several commands have been implemented, including motion execution along a waypoint-based path. The driver is published as open source.