Mobile Base, Arm and Torso Control

TIAGo mobile base configuration in AMAS

Introduction

The Pal Tiago, depending on the configuration has following components,

  • Mobile Base

  • 7 DoF robotic Arm (depending on the configuration it could be 0, 1 or 2)

  • 1 DoF Torso

  • 1 DoF End Effector (or PAL Robotics 5-fingered Hand)

Currently AMAS supports the configuration

  • Mobile Base

  • 1 x 7 DoF Robotic Arm

  • 1 DoF Torso

  • 1 DoF Pal Gripper

Control of the Tiago

To control the base, arm and the torso of the tiago, follow the following steps,

  1. Setup a Robokit using the instructions in Robokit Addition and Configuration with

    • your TIAGo robot IP address as the Robokit IP

    • default ROS port 9090

    • Set the Slow Speed % wrt to the full speed of the mobile base (example, value 50 will make the tiago base to move at the half the maximum speed of the base)

    • Set the Fast Speed % wrt to the full speed of the mobile base

  2. Tiago has 3 control points for the control of the motion of the arm, as shown in the picture below at End Effector, Elbow and Torso

  1. The Interaction Point at,

    • End Effector, is the master control of the entire arm and torso, when the user moves there hand into the gripper and grasp, the robot arm will start following the motion of the digital twin.

    Note : If the target, which arm arm tries to reach requires the motion of the torso or the elbow, when grasping at the end effector those motions will be made.

    • Elbow, this target could be used to move the elbow of the arm, while keeping the end effector at its place. This allows user to make movement in case of limited work area, like while going through a door.

    • Torso, this target allows the user to move the torso up and down while keeping the end effector at its current location. Allowing user to look up or down.

  2. For the control of the mobile base, to move the base around by sending the forward or backwards linear velocities along with the clockwise or anti clockwise angular velocities, move either your left or right hand controller to one of the 4 interactive targets as shown in the pic below,

  1. After moving the hand into one of the targets using the joystick on the left hand controller the mobile base could be controlled,

    • Forward on the joystick will make the base go forward at the selected speed.

    • Backward on the joystick will make the base go backward at the selected speed.

    • Right on the joystick will make the base rotate in the clockwise direction at the selected speed.

    • Left on the joystick will make the base rotate in the anti clockwise direction at the selected speed.

  2. To change the speed from slow to fast speed setting, the UI button to toggle between them is available over the interaction point behind the Tiago (3rd Person View). Click to select the fast speed settings.