Initialize Descartes

This exercise consists of setting up the Descartes Robot Model and Path Planner that our node will use to plan a path from a semi-constrained trajectory of the tool.

Locate Exercise Source File

  • Go to the main application source file located in plan_and_run/src/plan_and_run_node.cpp.
  • In the main program, locate the function call to application.initDescartes().
  • Go to the source file for that function located in the plan_and_run/src/tasks/init_descartes.cpp.
    • Alternatively, in QTCreator, you can click in any part of the function and press “F2” to bring up that file.
  • Comment out the first line containing the ROS_ERROR_STREAM( ... entry so that the function doesn’t quit immediately.

Complete Code

  • Invoke the descartes_core::RobotModel::initialize() method in order to properly initialize the robot.
  • Similarly, initialize the Descartes planner by passing the robot_model_ variable into the descartes_core::!DensePlanner::initialize() method.
  • Find comment block that starts with /*  Fill Code: and complete as described.
  • Replace every instance of [ COMPLETE HERE ] accordingly.

Build Code and Run

  • cd into your catkin workspace and run catkin build
  • Then run the application launch file:
roslaunch plan_and_run demo_run.launch