Short term roadmap

In the short term there are no major features planned for the pr2_mechanism stack.

Long term roadmap

This section summarizes some of the ideas we have for the pr2_mechanism stack. These ideas are not always very concrete, and many of them may never make it into real code. For a detailed list of features that will make it into the next release, check out the changelist page.

Inter-controller communication proposal

• The API:

  https://code.ros.org/svn/wg-ros-pkg/trunk/sandbox/rt_scheduler/include/rt_scheduler/api_v2.h

• Example Code:

  https://code.ros.org/svn/wg-ros-pkg/trunk/sandbox/rt_scheduler/src/api_v2_example.cpp

Resource management

The controller manager could keep track of which controllers are controller which joints, to avoid conflicts.

Actuator model

• Add an actuator model to allow lower level modeling/control.
• Need a more full dynamic model, specifying in joint space might not be right.

Filtered velocity output

Model encoders better to improve velocity measurement

Improve limits

• Limits on effort, velocity and position are currently applied on joint level only. For coupled joints, this is not correct. Limits should exist on joint and on actuator level.
• Limits could become plugins that are independent of the controller manager. In that way it becomes easier to support many different types of joints/robots.

Check trac for outstanding issues and roadmap.

Redesign of pr2 mechanism model

The pr2 mechanism model package has been modified many times, and has become kind of messy. It would definitely benefit from a redesign.