IsaacSim Support with topic_based_ros2_control

[mrinalTheCoder]

Feature summary

Currently, the packages only support physical hardware or mock hardware. For testing in a simulator such as IsaacSim, topic_based_ros2_control is required.

topic_based_ros2_control would be a simple plugin in the URDF that implements a simple 'hardware interface' that communicates with IsaacSim through topic_based_ros2_control. There would also be changes to all the launch files (change use_mock_hardware parameter to something like hardware_type with options for real, mock, or simulated hardware).

Tasks

To complete this issue involves

• Implement the feature
• Make documentation
• Make Unit test
• Make example
• Test on real hardware

[mrinalTheCoder]

Happy to work on this.

[urfeex]

That sounds like a cool idea! We have structured the URDF in a way that such a thing would be implemented in a separate package. For example, if you take a look at the GZ sim package you will find a URDF including the kinematic description from ur_description and adding a gz-specific ros2_control specification.

We split things up like that in order to break up some dependency chains from the description.

Would that fit to what you have in mind?

[mrinalTheCoder]

Yes that makes sense. Will someone create a new repo under UniversalRobotics? I see an Isaac Driver but that seems to be deprecated.

[urfeex]

Yes, that is deprecated. We would have to discuss internally, whether we want to support that, as supporting a new platform always comes with some maintenance overhead. That shouldn't stop you from implementing this, though.

[mrinalTheCoder]

Sounds good. I have a basic implementation in my fork of this repo, but I'll work on refactoring it as a separate package soon.