Apollo: Communicate between ROS1 outside docker and apollo modules

[gladijos]

I can't find any issue or example for communication between ROS1 outside docker and apollo modules. I mean:

1. inside docker I launch bootstrap

2. outside from docker I start rostopic pub -r 10 /test/tf1 geometry_msgs/TransformStamped '{header:{}, child_frame_id: "", transform: {}}'

3. inside docker I have code in apollo/modules/localization/my_localization/my_localization.cc

void MY_tf_Callback(const geometry_msgs::TransformStamped& msg)
{
  AINFO << "I heard TransformStamped" ;
}
ros::Subscriber sub;
ros::Publisher pub;

Status MyLocalization::Start() {
  std::shared_ptr<ros::NodeHandle> nh = AdapterManager::node_handle();
  // std::shared_ptr<ros::NodeHandle> nh = std::make_shared<ros::NodeHandle>();
  sub = nh->subscribe("/test/tf1", 32, MY_tf_Callback);
  pub = nh->advertise<geometry_msgs::TransformStamped>("/test/tf2", 1000);
}

void CARLALocalization::OnTimer(const ros::TimerEvent &event) {

  geometry_msgs::TransformStamped msg;

  pub.publish(msg);
}

Expected behavior:

1. inside docker I'll have topics /test/tf1 and /test/tf2.

2. outside docker I'll have topics /test/tf1 and /test/tf2.

3. In file /apollo/data/log/localization.INFO I'll see "I heard TransformStamped"

4. inside docker rostopic echo -c /test/tf1 will print some messages.

5. outside docker rostopic echo -c /test/tf2 will print some messages.

Real behaviour:

1. inside docker I'll have only topic /test/tf1.

2. outside docker I'll have only topic /test/tf1.

3. In file /apollo/data/log/localization.INFO I don't see "I heard TransformStamped"

4. inside docker rostopic echo -c /test/tf1 print

/use_sim_time is not set, will not subscribe to simulated time [/clock] topic

1. outside docker topic /test/tf2 does not exist.

[yonhdee]

add those lines to dev_start.sh

      --env ROS_MASTER_URI=http://172.17.0.1:11311 \
      --env ROS_IP=172.17.0.1 \

then you can connect to apollo's rosmaster outside docker

[gladijos]

Update. Second try.
I has one simulation environment that can also provide /tf and /clock topics.
I modified my code :
sub = nh->subscribe("/tf", 32, MY_tf_Callback);

And right now i have:

1. inside docker I'll have topics /tf /clock.

2. outside docker I'll have topics /tf /clock.

3. In file /apollo/data/log/localization.INFO I don't see "I heard TransformStamped"

4. inside docker rostopic echo -c /tf print

transforms:

• 
  header:
  seq: 0
  stamp:
  secs: 0
  nsecs: 0
  frame_id: world
  child_frame_id: localization
  transform:
  translation:
  x: 0.0
  y: 0.0
  z: 0.0
  rotation:
  x: 0.0
  y: 0.0
  z: 0.0

w: 0.0

4.1outside docker

transforms:

• 
  header:
  seq: 0
  stamp:
  secs: 974
  nsecs: 447999999
  frame_id: "map"
  child_frame_id: "base_link"
  transform:
  translation:
  x: 314.974945068
  y: -330.60748291
  z: 38.1035308838
  rotation:
  x: 8.41813594205e-10
  y: 3.45706910466e-06
  z: -0.000243504987536
  w: 0.999999970347

1. outside docker topic /test/tf2 still does not exist.

[gladijos]

@yonhdee Thanks for advice!
I think you mean add
-e ROS_MASTER_URI=http://172.17.0.1:11311 \
-e ROS_IP=172.17.0.1 \
into docker run command.
If Im right. Here are results:

1. outside docker nothing changes.
2. inside docker nothing changes.

P.S. I'll do more separated test and will provide results as soon as I can.

[gladijos]

First of all I think some troubles can exists in getting and using ros::NodeHandle.
I got it by custom method .
in /apollo/modules/common/adapters/adapter_manager.h I add
class AdapterManager {
...
std::shared_ptr<ros::NodeHandle> node_handle__;
static std::shared_ptr<ros::NodeHandle> node_handle() {return instance()->node_handle__;};
...
}
in /apollo/modules/common/adapters/adapter_manager.cc I add
void AdapterManager::Init(const AdapterManagerConfig &configs) {
...
if (configs.is_ros()) {
instance()->node_handle__.reset(new ros::NodeHandle());
instance()->node_handle_.reset(instance()->node_handle__.get());
}
...
}

I make new ros::NodeHandle inside my localization module by this:
std::shared_ptr<ros::NodeHandle> nh;
nh = std::make_shared<ros::NodeHandle>();

But nothing changes.
I think I have notice that I use apollo 2.5. I start my project then 3.0 does not exist. And I has not read out any important for my projects notes from 'Release notes'. Have I install and start use v.3.0?

[gladijos]

My example will show resolving this issue with new localization module. You can change any other or write your own new module.

1. apollo/modules/localization/my_localization/my_localization.h
   class MyLocalization
   {
   ros::Subscriber sub;
   ros::Publisher pub;
   std::shared_ptr nh;
   }

2. apollo/modules/localization/my_localization/my_localization.cc

void MY_tf_Callback(const tf2_msgs::TFMessage & msg)
{
AINFO << "I heard TransformStamped" ;
}

Status MyLocalization::Start()
{
nh = std::make_shared();
sub = nh->subscribe("/test/tf1", 32, MY_tf_Callback);
pub = nh->advertise("/test/tf2", 1000);
}

void MyLocalization::OnTimer(const ros::TimerEvent &event)
{
geometry_msgs::TransformStamped msg;
pub.publish(msg);
}

1. You should start your apollo module (that includes regular ros subscribers and publishers) earlier than you will start ros publisher and subscriber outside from apollo system/docker.

P.S. I think point 3 is a bug but I'm not sure that I make everything the best way.
P.P.S. I didn't try organize communication between several apollo modules that contains regular ros subscribers and publishers and also I didn't try use regular ros services inside apollo modules. I think it can be useful experience.

Thanks everyone for attention and help!

[snuffysasa]

@gladijos

Thank you so much!!! This helped us big time! thank you for making this guide!

@mickeyouyou @quning78

This should be one of the Apollo guides in docs

[Zhenni17]

closing the issue.

[mickeyouyou]

@snuffysasa Thanks, welcome if you do want ,you can pull a request for that.