easynav_pointcloud_stack

This stack is part of the Easy Navigation (EasyNav) project developed by the Intelligent Robotics Lab. It is composed of the pointcloud_maps_builder package and the pointcloud_maps_manager package (currently under construction).

Pointcloud Maps Builder

The PointcloudMapsBuilderNode subscribes to point cloud sensor data, downsamples and fuses it, and republishes the processed data for mapping or further processing.

Parameters

Parameter Name	Type	Default	Description
sensor_topic	string	points	Topic to subscribe for point cloud input
downsample_resolution	double	1.0	Resolution to use when downsampling
perception_default_frame	string	map	Target frame for fusing point clouds

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Installation

Clone the repository into your ROS 2 workspace:

cd ~/ros2_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/EasyNavigation/easynav_pointcloud_stack.git
git clone https://github.com/EasyNavigation/easynav_outdoor_testcase.git
cd ..
colcon build --packages-select easynav_pointcloud_maps_builder

Usage

Source your workspace:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash

Run the lifecycle node:

ros2 run easynav_pointcloud_maps_builder pointcloud_maps_builder_node

Test

1. Create a parameter YAML file (e.g., params.yaml) with the following content:

pointcloud_maps_builder_node:
  ros__parameters:
    use_sim_time: true
    sensors: [map]
    downsample_resolution: 0.1
    perception_default_frame: map
    map:
      topic: map
      type: sensor_msgs/msg/PointCloud2
      group: points

2. Run the node using the parameter file with this command:

ros2 run easynav_pointcloud_maps_builder pointcloud_maps_builder_main \
--ros-args --params-file src/easynav_outdoor_testcase/params.yaml

Pointcloud Maps Manager

The PointcloudMapsManager subscribes to point cloud topic managed by Maps Builder. There is another option when the point cloud is stored in a Point Cloud Data file (.pcd). The manager can handle both cases, allowing for flexible integration with existing point cloud data.

Parameters

Parameter Name	Type	Default	Description
map_types	string		Map representation defined by map manager

By each map_types define in the params file is required to define the following parameters:

Parameter Name	Type	Default	Description
map_topic_in	string	/<node name>/<plugin name>/topic_in	Topic where the point cloud is received
package_name	string		Package name where is located the pcd file.
map_path_file	string	pointcloud_map.pcd	Filename for pcd map file.

Note: The map_path_file is only required if the package_name is defined. If not, the point cloud data will be read from topic defined in map_topic_in.

Installation

Clone the repository into your ROS 2 workspace:

cd ~/ros2_ws/src
git clone https://github.com/EasyNavigation/easynav_pointcloud_stack.git
git clone https://github.com/EasyNavigation/easynav_outdoor_testcase.git
cd ..
colcon build --packages-select easynav_pointcloud_maps_manager easynav_pointcloud_common

Usage

Source your workspace:

source ~/ros2_ws/install/setup.bash

Run the main node:

ros2 run easynav_system system_main --ros-args --params-file <yaml file with parameters>

The file maps_manager.params.yaml could be modified to include the desired point cloud map types and their respective parameters.

How to create a parameter file for Pointcloud Maps Manager

1. Create a parameter YAML file (e.g., params.yaml) with the following content:

maps_manager_node:
  ros__parameters:
    use_sim_time: true # When data source is from file this parameter should be set to false
    map_types: [PointCloudData] # Map types defined by the manager
    PointCloudData:
      plugin: easynav_pointcloud_maps_manager/PointCloudMapsManager # Plugin name
      map_topic_in: /map_builder/cloud_filtered # Topic where the point cloud is received
      package_name: easynav_outdoor_testcase # Package name where is located the `pcd` file.
      map_path_file: maps/pointcloud_map.pcd  # Filename for `pcd` map file.