rickstaa/panda-gazebo

Replace `franka_ros` submodule with binary package

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Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

The franka_ros package is currently included as a submodule due to pending features and fixes awaiting integration into the upstream repository. To maintain compatibility with our specific use case, we rely on a custom branch located here. This branch contains several pull requests (PRs) essential for seamless operation but has yet to be merged into the upstream [develop] branch (https://github.com/frankaemika/franka_ros/tree/develop). Below, we'd like to list the required PRs and some optional enhancements.

Required Pull Requests

Nice to Have Enhancements

Some upstream problems that still exist and negatively affect this project

  • frankaemika/franka_ros#172: The simulated gripper is implemented suboptimal in franka_ros.
    • Gripper PID gains need improvement for the /franka_gripper/gripper_action/goal Action to set the gripper width accurately when the gripper is vertical (see this and this comment).
    • Additionally, there is a need to enhance the functionality of the /franka_gripper/gripper_action/goal action. The gripperAction currently has a limitation—it can only grasp objects when the gripper width is explicitly specified. On the other hand, the grasp action can grasp things but cannot set a desired gripper width. In reinforcement learning, it would be advantageous for the robot to autonomously learn and set the gripper width while grasping objects, even without prior knowledge of the object size.
  • frankaemika/franka_ros#233: The gravity compensation for the simulated panda in franka_ros is dysfunctional, leading to unintended drift when utilizing effort controllers with an attached hand.

Proposed Solution

Once all the mentioned PRs have been successfully merged into the upstream repository, we can use the official binary package for franka_ros.