Keyboard joy #652

kluge7 · 2026-01-04T12:24:27Z

This PR introduces keyboard_joy, a python package that publishes sensor_msgs/Joy messages based on keyboard input.

TODO: the current implementation uses pynput and only works on xorg (not Wayland).

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR introduces keyboard_joy, a new ROS 2 Python package that enables keyboard-based control by publishing sensor_msgs/Joy messages. The package serves as a joystick replacement for development and testing purposes, with configurable key mappings and support for both hold and sticky axis modes. Note that the current implementation is limited to Xorg environments.

Key changes:

New keyboard_joy package with configurable YAML-based key mappings
Support for both axis control (hold/sticky modes) and button inputs via keyboard
Comprehensive test suite using pytest with mocked keyboard listener

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 8 out of 10 changed files in this pull request and generated 17 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py	Main node implementation with keyboard event handling, Joy message publishing, and axis/button state management
mission/keyboard_joy/config/key_mappings.yaml	Default key mapping configuration defining axis and button bindings
mission/keyboard_joy/launch/keyboard_joy_node.launch.py	Launch file for starting the keyboard_joy node with configurable parameters
mission/keyboard_joy/test/test_keyboard_joy_node.py	Unit tests covering key mapping, axis modes, and button state transitions
mission/keyboard_joy/setup.py	Python package setup configuration with dependencies and entry points
mission/keyboard_joy/setup.cfg	Installation script configuration for ROS 2
mission/keyboard_joy/package.xml	ROS 2 package manifest with dependencies
mission/keyboard_joy/README.md	Package documentation describing functionality and known limitations
mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/init.py	Empty package initialization file
mission/keyboard_joy/resource/keyboard_joy	Empty resource marker file for ament

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mission/keyboard_joy/README.md

mission/keyboard_joy/config/key_mappings.yaml

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

mission/keyboard_joy/test/test_keyboard_joy_node.py

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

codecov · 2026-01-04T14:44:22Z

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 0% with 106 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.
✅ Project coverage is 36.90%. Comparing base (c05c7b5) to head (8893e9c).

Files with missing lines	Patch %	Lines
...ion/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py	0.00%	97 Missing and 4 partials ⚠️
mission/keyboard_joy/setup.py	0.00%	5 Missing ⚠️

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##             main     #652      +/-   ##
==========================================
+ Coverage   35.62%   36.90%   +1.28%     
==========================================
  Files          38       36       -2     
  Lines        2254     2173      -81     
  Branches      686      702      +16     
==========================================
- Hits          803      802       -1     
+ Misses       1272     1188      -84     
- Partials      179      183       +4

Flag	Coverage Δ
unittests	`36.90% <0.00%> (+1.28%)`	⬆️

Flags with carried forward coverage won't be shown. Click here to find out more.

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
mission/keyboard_joy/setup.py	`0.00% <0.00%> (ø)`
...ion/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py	`0.00% <0.00%> (ø)`

... and 5 files with indirect coverage changes

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Q3rkses · 2026-01-05T10:30:47Z

bro why bootleg chatgpt talking

Q3rkses

you are looking good cooking

Q3rkses · 2026-01-06T12:01:39Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+start_message = r"""
+ ██ ▄█▀▓█████▓██   ██▓ ▄▄▄▄    ▒█████   ▄▄▄       ██▀███  ▓█████▄  ▄▄▄██▀▀▀▒█████ ▓██   ██▓
+ ██▄█▒ ▓█   ▀ ▒██  ██▒▓█████▄ ▒██▒  ██▒▒████▄    ▓██ ▒ ██▒▒██▀ ██▌   ▒██  ▒██▒  ██▒▒██  ██▒
+▓███▄░ ▒███    ▒██ ██░▒██▒ ▄██▒██░  ██▒▒██  ▀█▄  ▓██ ░▄█ ▒░██   █▌   ░██  ▒██░  ██▒ ▒██ ██░
+▓██ █▄ ▒▓█  ▄  ░ ▐██▓░▒██░█▀  ▒██   ██░░██▄▄▄▄██ ▒██▀▀█▄  ░▓█▄   ▌▓██▄██▓ ▒██   ██░ ░ ▐██▓░
+▒██▒ █▄░▒████▒ ░ ██▒▓░░▓█  ▀█▓░ ████▓▒░ ▓█   ▓██▒░██▓ ▒██▒░▒████▓  ▓███▒  ░ ████▓▒░ ░ ██▒▓░
+▒ ▒▒ ▓▒░░ ▒░ ░  ██▒▒▒ ░▒▓███▀▒░ ▒░▒░▒░  ▒▒   ▓▒█░░ ▒▓ ░▒▓░ ▒▒▓  ▒  ▒▓▒▒░  ░ ▒░▒░▒░   ██▒▒▒
+░ ░▒ ▒░ ░ ░  ░▓██ ░▒░ ▒░▒   ░   ░ ▒ ▒░   ▒   ▒▒ ░  ░▒ ░ ▒░ ░ ▒  ▒  ▒ ░▒░    ░ ▒ ▒░ ▓██ ░▒░
+░ ░░ ░    ░   ▒ ▒ ░░   ░    ░ ░ ░ ░ ▒    ░   ▒     ░░   ░  ░ ░  ░  ░ ░ ░  ░ ░ ░ ▒  ▒ ▒ ░░
+░  ░      ░  ░░ ░      ░          ░ ░        ░  ░   ░        ░     ░   ░      ░ ░  ░ ░
+              ░ ░           ░                              ░                       ░ ░
+"""


Andeshog

Consider separating the ros layer (publishing) and the logic layer. This would also make the code easier to test, as you would not need to go through ros. Personally I find nested dataclasses better than dictionaries here (easier to read, and safer to use). It would also pretty much mirror the yaml file. Also consider Enum class for "mode" instead of string

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T18:09:44Z

mission/keyboard_joy/config/key_mappings.yaml

+parameters:
+  axis_increment_rate: 0.02  # update interval (higher = slower response)


The name says rate but the value is a period, as the bot mentioned. Choose one (50 Hz or 0.02 s). Also publish rate/period should probably be a param too

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T18:10:34Z

mission/keyboard_joy/config/key_mappings.yaml

+axes:
+  # Left stick (surge/sway)
+  w: [1, 1.0, 'hold']
+  s: [1, -1.0, 'hold']
+  a: [0, 1.0, 'hold']
+  d: [0, -1.0, 'hold']
+
+  # Heave
+  Key.space: [2, 1.0, 'hold'] # Up (RT)
+  Key.shift: [2, -1.0, 'hold'] # Down (LT)
+
+  # Rotation (pitch/yaw)
+  Key.up: [4, 1.0, 'hold']


Would be nice to have a comment or something explaining what the three values in the list represent.

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T20:05:27Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+        self.joy_msg = Joy()
+        self.joy_msg.axes = [0.0] * (max_axis_index + 1)
+        self.joy_msg.buttons = [0] * (max_button_index + 1)


Just an idea, but would it make sense to utilize the frame id of the joy message, e.g. "Joystick" and "Keyboard"? Wouldnt make a difference unless handled by the subscriber, but maybe nice for logs/bags?

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T20:07:24Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+
+        self.declare_parameter('config', '')


prefer

self.declare_parameter('config', Parameter.Type.STRING)

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T20:08:19Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+
+        self.joy_pub = self.create_publisher(Joy, 'joy', 10)


topic name parameter in orca.yaml?

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T20:11:31Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+        config_file = self.get_parameter(
+            'config'
+        ).get_parameter_value().string_value or os.path.join(
+            get_package_share_directory('keyboard_joy'), 'config', 'key_mappings.yaml'
+        )


The default case here seems redundant if the node is launched anyway?

Andeshog · 2026-01-06T20:15:26Z

mission/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy/keyboard_joy_node.py

+        max_axis_index = max((v[0] for v in self.axis_mappings.values()), default=-1)
+        max_button_index = max(self.button_mappings.values(), default=-1)
+
+        self.joy_msg = Joy()
+        self.joy_msg.axes = [0.0] * (max_axis_index + 1)
+        self.joy_msg.buttons = [0] * (max_button_index + 1)


Not super clear what is going on here (especially the +1), would be nice with a comment or abstraction. Ties back to the comment in config file perhaps

kluge7 added 3 commits November 4, 2025 02:35

feat(joy): add keyboard_joy node for keyboard-based teleoperation

fcfa385

chore(keyboard_joy_node): removed comments

eec9cb3

refactor: migrate keyboard_joy to ament_python and add unit tests

2d999ba

kluge7 requested review from Andeshog and Copilot January 4, 2026 12:24

kluge7 self-assigned this Jan 4, 2026

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of kluge7 January 4, 2026 12:24 View session

chore(keyboard_joy): apply pre-commit changes

9f73fc5

Copilot AI reviewed Jan 4, 2026

View reviewed changes

kluge7 and others added 8 commits January 4, 2026 13:30

fix(keyboard_joy): use python3-pytest rosdep key instead of pytest

631feb9

Merge branch 'main' into feat/keyboard-joy

ec5f5ee

refactor(keyboard_joy): remove ament_python from buildtool_depend

8c0770c

Update mission/keyboard_joy/README.md

f42e1d7

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

Update mission/keyboard_joy/config/key_mappings.yaml

93807e8

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

docs(keyboard_joy): update naming in README to be consistent with code

c1f8b43

test

5d8c813

test: remove keyboard_joy tests since they are unsupported in CI

8893e9c

kluge7 force-pushed the feat/keyboard-joy branch from 0588283 to 8893e9c Compare January 4, 2026 14:30

kluge7 requested a review from Q3rkses January 5, 2026 13:58

Q3rkses approved these changes Jan 6, 2026

View reviewed changes

Andeshog reviewed Jan 6, 2026

View reviewed changes

		parameters:
		axis_increment_rate: 0.02 # update interval (higher = slower response)

Keyboard joy #652

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Keyboard joy #652

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codecov bot commented Jan 4, 2026

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Q3rkses commented Jan 5, 2026

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