sar_robot_command

A ROS package containing custom ROS messages for communication with SAR robots.

RobotCommand

The RobotCommand message definition includes a standard ROS message header and the command to send. Some commands, such as DO, must be accompanied by a set of properties, such as a string containing text for the robot to say and actions/behaviors for the robot to do.

For some robots, DO commands must be also tagged with a unique ID, which should be put in the id field. Note that RobotCommand messages do not check nor ensure that anything placed in the "id" field is in fact unique.

If a command does not require properties or an ID, set these fields as empty strings.

A command may also be tagged to interrupt any previously running behaviors on the robot using the interrupt field. It is up to the specific robot platform to monitor this field and interrupt or replace any command that was already running on the robot.

A list of constants is included for the different commands that can be sent to a robot. These are:

• 0 SLEEP

  • no properties (properties = empty string)

• 1 WAKEUP

  • no properties

• 2 DO

  • string containing text for the robot to say and/or actions/behaviors for the robot to do before, during, or after speaking (or instead of speaking)

Details about the DO command

General format

DO commands should be formatted as a string of text containing the words that the robot should say, with any actions the robot should be instructed to do embedded in the string in angle brackets. Names of specific interaction partners can be included in square brackets. Here is an example:

"Speech to say to [interaction-partner] <action> more speech <action>"

The following message string would instruct a robot to say "Hi (name of child) I am a robot!", to smile after saying "Hi (name of child)", and to wave at the end of the sentence:

"Hi [child-name] <smile> I am a robot! <wave>"

A message string can contain only speech or only actions, e.g.:

"Hi I am a robot!"

or

"<smile>"

Action flags

The action commands may contain additional optional flags, e.g.:

"Hi <smile,flag1> I am a robot! <wave,flag2>"

One use of these flags would be to indicate that specific robot animations or actions, such as a "smile" or a "happy bounce", should be blocking or non-blocking. For example, given the DO command "Hi <happy bounce> I am a robot!", if you tagged the action command as blocking, e.g.,

"Hi <happy bounce,b> I am a robot!"

then the robot would say "Hi", do a happy bounce, then say "I am a robot!".

If you tagged the action as non-blocking, e.g.,

"Hi [child-name] <happy bounce, nb> I am a robot!"

then the robot would say "Hi (name of child)", then do its happy bounce while saying "I am a robot!"

For clarification, these flags would only change the attributes of a particular action within the DO string. So flagging an action as "blocking" and "non-blocking" flags would only change that particular action. As stated earlier, if you want to interrupt and replace the currently running behavior on the robot with your new command, you can use the interrupt field to indicate this.

Note that this package does not track whether actions or flags you provide in a message string are recognizable by any specific robot platform. For lists of available actions or flags, please consult their specifications for your specific robot platform or project. E.g., you would need to check your specific robot platform or project's specifications regarding what flag to provide for "blocking" vs. "non-blocking" actions.

Name tags

Several pre-defined interaction partners can be referenced in DO command strings using a name tag in square brackets, like so:

"Hi [child-name] <smile> I am a robot! <wave>"

Name tags available include:

• child-name: The name of the child who is the primary user of the robot.

• guardian-name: The name of the child's caretaker, who may play with the robot with the child.

That said, this package does not track whether name tags you provide in a message string are recognizable by any specific robot platform. Please consult the specifications for your specific robot platform or project to get a complete list of what is supported for your robot or project.

RobotState

The RobotState message definition includes several flags that can be sent back by a robot. These flags give status information about the robot's current activities.

• doing action: True when the robot is currently performing an animation or behavior.

• is playing sound: True when the robot is currently playing back sound.

TODO: Define additional status flags that may be useful.

Version and dependency notes

This node was built and tested with:

• Python 2.7.6
• ROS Indigo
• Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (64-bit)

Bugs and issues

Please report all bugs and issues on the sar_robot_command_msgs github issues page.