SW-5148: back port improvements in ros 2 to ros 1

[Samahu]

Related Issues & PRs

• original PR: Back port relevant improvements made to the ROS2 to ROS1 #157
• related: ROS2 compatibility mode #146
• related: ROS2 foxy compatibility mode #149
• related: ROS compatibility mode dual returns fix #156
• related: SW-5167: fix black columns when recording a bag file #162
• related: SW-5167: follow ups from SW-5167-fix-black-columns-when-recording-under-ros-foxy #163
• resolves: Homologation of ouster client for ROS / ROS 2 support #8
• resolves: Publishing pointclouds in os_sensor frame is misleading #33
• resolves: How to work with the transforms in ros2 driver for rolling? #65 for custom frame names.
• resolves: Delay on lidar scans #76
• resolves: High TF Broadcast Rate #105 and Ouster Time Handling for tf and sensor msgs  #9 by implemented a switch between static and dynamic broadacasts of TF messages.
• resolves: Pointcloud partially flickering (incomplete) in rviz. #110
• incorporates: add option for data frame #127
• resolves: Frame Rate Drop #137
• resolves: corrupt scans #144
• resolves: Visualisation in Circular Motion Error #147
• resolves: std::bad_alloc when running multiple cloud nodelets under a single nodelet manager #155

Summary of Changes

• Added the ThreadSafeRingBuffer
  • with minimal unit tests for it
• Switch to using threads for packet reception and processing instead of timers
• Added a /ouster/reset service (experimental)
• Added missing /ouster/get_metadata service to os_replay
• Ported the refactorings made in ROS2 for imu and lidar packets processors
  • Added PointCloudProcessor
  • Added LaserScanProcessor
  • Added ImageProcessor
  • Users can select which processors to enable through proc_mask flag
• Changes for the tf transforms
  • Added the ability to switch between dynamic and static broadcast of tf transforms
    • Set default for static transforms breoadcast
  • Added the ability to set custom names for the tf transforms
• Added a new nodelet name OusterDriver with a new launch file driver.launch
  • The new nodelet combines the functionality of the three nodelets into a single nodelet avoiding the overhead of raw packets on the ROS communication bus.
• Added a new message LaserScan with ability to set the specific ring through scan_ring argument
• Added a switch point_cloud_frame to select which frame to be used when publishing point clouds or laser scans
  • choose between sensor_frame or lidar_frame; default is kept to use sensor_frame which would trigger a warning message about raytracing.
• Renamed nodelets_os namespace to ouster_ros to unify namespace across the code.
  • Subsequently renamed module nodelets_os to ouster_ros_nodelets

Validation

Old Interface Maintained

The three launch commands should be fully preserved under the new changes

# regular launch
roslaunch ouster_ros sensor.launch    \
    sensor_hostname:=<sensor host name>
# record
roslaunch ouster_ros record.launch    \
    sensor_hostname:=<sensor host name>     \
    bag_file:=<optional bag file name>      \
    metadata:=<json file name>              # optional
# replay
roslaunch ouster_ros replay.launch    \
    bag_file:=<path to rosbag file>         \
    metadata:=<json file name>              # optional if bag file has /metadata topic

Single Node (os_sensor+os_cloud+os_image)

To use the new combined node os_driver run the launch file driver.launch.py as shown below but please find the driver_config.yaml and adjust to match your sensor settings:

roslaunch ouster_ros driver.launch

proc_mask flags

• When running in a single node test enabling \ disabling individual flags for the proc_mask.
  • For example enable only the IMU, SCAN, IMG and PCL.
  • Watch that only the specific message of the enabled message type actually gets published

Alternate PointCloud frame

• Test altering point_cloud_frame between os_lidar and os_sensor
  • Altering between the two should be clearly reflected in the the rendered point cloud in RVIZ

custom tf frame names

• Try out renaming the sensor_frame, lidar_frame and imu_frame to something else other the default.
• Try combining the tf_prefix (available only in ROS1) along with any of the frames mentioned above
• The updated name should reflected in the transformation tree

switch between dynamic and static transforms broadcast

• use dynamic_transforms_broadcast and dynamic_transforms_broadcast_rate to switch between static transforms and dynamic updates of transforms.

Invoke the reset service (not implemented)

• Connect the sensor, then invoke the /ouster/reset service

  rosservice call /ouster/reset

• A message should printed stating this is not implemented yet.