libstageplugin - simulation driver for Player

libstageplugin is a plugin for Player that allows Player clients to access simulated robots as if they were normal Player devices.

Stage robots and sensors work like any other Player device: users write robot controllers and sensor algorithms as `clients' to the Player `server'. Typically, clients cannot tell the difference between the real robot devices and their simulated Stage equivalents (unless they try very hard). We have found that robot controllers developed as Player clients controlling Stage robots will work with little or no modification with the real robots and vice versa [1]. With a little care, the same binary program can often control Stage robots and real robots without even being recompiled [2]. Thus the Player/Stage system allows rapid prototyping of controllers destined for real robots. Stage can also be very useful by simulating populations of realistic robot devices you don't happen to own [3].

Authors

Richard Vaughan

[refs]

Configuration file examples:

Creating two models in a Stage worldfile, saved as "example.world":

# this is a comment
# create a position model - it can drive around like a robot
position
(
  name "marvin"
  color "red"

  pose [ 1 1 0 ]

  # add a laser scanner on top of the robot
  laser() 
)

# create a position model with a gripper attached to each side
position
(
  name "gort"
  color "silver"
  pose [ 6 1 0 ]
  size [ 1 2 ]

  gripper( pose [0  1  90] )
  gripper( pose [0 -1 -90] )
)

Attaching Player interfaces to the Stage models "marvin" and "gort" in a Player config (.cfg) file:

# Present a simulation interface on the default port (6665).
# Load the Stage plugin driver and create the world described
# in the worldfile "example.world" 
# The simulation interface MUST be created before any simulated devices 
# models can be used.
driver
(		
  name "stage"
  provides ["simulation:0"]
  plugin "libstageplugin"
  worldfile "example.world"	
)

# Present a position interface on the default port (6665), connected
# to the Stage position model "marvin", and a laser interface connected to
# the laser child of "marvin".
driver
(
  name "stage"
  provides ["position2d:0" "laser:0"]
  model "marvin"
)

# Present three interfaces on port 6666, connected to the Stage 
# position model "gort" and its two grippers.
driver
(
  name "stage"
  provides ["6666:position2d:0" "6666:gripper:0" "6666:gripper:1"]
  model "gort"
)

More examples can be found in the Stage source tree, in directory <stage-version>/worlds.

Player configuration file options

worldfile <string>
- where <string> is the filename of a Stage worldfile. Player will attempt to load the worldfile and attach interfaces to Stage models specified by the "model" keyword
model <string>
- where <string> is the name of a Stage position model that will be controlled by this interface. Stage will search down the tree of models starting at the named model to find a previously-unassigned device of the right type.

Provides

The stage plugin driver provides the following device interfaces:

Blobfinder interface

PLAYER_BLOBFINDER_DATA_BLOBS

Bumper interface

PLAYER_BUMPER_DATA_STATE
PLAYER_BUMPER_GET_GEOM

Fiducial interface

PLAYER_FIDUCIAL_DATA_SCAN
PLAYER_FIDUCIAL_REQ_GET_GEOM
PLAYER_FIDUCIAL_REQ_SET_ID
PLAYER_FIDUCIAL_REQ_GET_ID

Graphics2d interface

PLAYER_GRAPHICS2D_CMD_CLEAR
PLAYER_GRAPHICS2D_CMD_POINTS
PLAYER_GRAPHICS2D_CMD_POLYLINE
PLAYER_GRAPHICS2D_CMD_POLYGON

Graphics3d interface

PLAYER_GRAPHICS3D_CMD_CLEAR
PLAYER_GRAPHICS3D_CMD_DRAW
PLAYER_GRAPHICS3D_CMD_TRANSLATE
PLAYER_GRAPHICS3D_CMD_ROTATE

Gripper interface

PLAYER_GRIPPER_DATA_STATE
PLAYER_GRIPPER_CMD_STATE
PLAYER_GRIPPER_REQ_GET_GEOM

Laser interface

PLAYER_LASER_DATA_SCAN
PLAYER_LASER_REQ_SET_CONFIG
PLAYER_LASER_REQ_GET_CONFIG
PLAYER_LASER_REQ_GET_GEOM

Localize interface

PLAYER_LOCALIZE_DATA_HYPOTHS

Map interface

PLAYER_MAP_REQ_GET_INFO
PLAYER_MAP_REQ_GET_DATA

Position interface

PLAYER_POSITION2D_CMD_POS
PLAYER_POSITION2D_CMD_VEL
PLAYER_POSITION2D_CMD_CAR
PLAYER_POSITION2D_DATA_STATE
PLAYER_POSITION2D_REQ_GET_GEOM
PLAYER_POSITION2D_REQ_MOTOR_POWER
PLAYER_POSITION2D_REQ_RESET_ODOM
PLAYER_POSITION2D_REQ_SET_ODOM
PLAYER_POSITION2D_REQ_POSITION_MODE

Power interface

PLAYER_POWER_DATA_STATE

Ptz interface

PLAYER_PTZ_DATA_STATE
PLAYER_PTZ_REQ_GEOM

Simulation interface

PLAYER_SIMULATION_REQ_SET_POSE2D
PLAYER_SIMULATION_REQ_GET_POSE2D
PLAYER_SIMULATION_REQ_SET_PROPERTY_INT
- "fiducial_return" 0-32767
- "laser_return" 0-2
- "gripper_return" 0-1
- "ranger_return" 0-1
- "obstacle_return" 0-1
- "color" 0xRRGGBB
PLAYER_SIMULATION_REQ_SET_PROPERTY_FLOAT
- "mass" 0 <= N
- "watts" 0 <= N

Sonar interface

PLAYER_SONAR_DATA_RANGES
PLAYER_SONAR_REQ_GET_GEOM

Speech interface

PLAYER_SPEECH_CMD_SAY

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