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You are running a Gazebo plugin that is not ROS-aware (more on that below). In order to spawn a laser sensor in Gazebo and visualize the laser scan in Rviz there are some steps missing. For instance:

You need an URDF file, this is a minimal example (lets call it laser_sensor.urdf):

<?xml version="1.0"?>
  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <collision>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
    <inertial>
      <mass value="1.0"/>
      <inertia ixx="0.015" iyy="0.015" izz="0.015" ixy="0" ixz="0" iyz="0"/>
    </inertial>
  </link>

<!-- placeholder for laser sensor plugin-->

</robot>

You have to add the following Gazebo tag with a Plugin that interacts with ROS (put it where the placeholder is):

  <!-- this is a laser sensor-->
  <gazebo reference="hokuyo_link">
      <sensor type="ray" name="laser">
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
      <visualize>false</visualize>
      <update_rate>40</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>720</samples>
            <resolution>1</resolution>
            <min_angle>-1.570796</min_angle>
            <max_angle>1.570796</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.10</min>
          <max>30.0</max>
          <resolution>0.01</resolution>
        </range>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so">
        <topicName>laser/scan</topicName>
        <frameName>hokuyo_link</frameName>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

Note that the plugin is different to the one you are using: <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so"> This plugin publishes directly to ROS topics.

Fire up Gazebo:
$ roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch

Then cd to where you saved your URDF file.
Next spawn the URDF model to Gazebo:

$ rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file laser_sensor.urdf -urdf -z 0.5 -model laser_sensor

Load the robot model to parameter server:
$ rosparam set robot_description --textfile laser_sensor.urdf

To broadcast the robot model (from the URDF description) to the tf transform library run:
$ rosrun joint_state_publisher joint_state_publisher
$ rosrun robot_state_publisher robot_state_publisher

To verify that everything in running:
$ rostopic list
$ rostopic echo tf_static

Then open Rviz.
Select the drop_down for fixed frame and type in "base_link".
Finally add a LaserScan visualization and set the correct topic.

I can recommend starting with these tutorials:

http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?tut=ros_gzplugins#GPULaser

You are running a Gazebo plugin that is not ROS-aware (more on that below). In order to spawn a laser sensor in Gazebo and visualize the laser scan in Rviz there are some steps missing. For instance:

You need an URDF file, this is a minimal example (lets call it laser_sensor.urdf):

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<robot name="cube_laser">

  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <collision>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
  </link>

  <!-- a cube to use as laser sensor geometry -->
  <link name="hokuyo_link">
    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <inertial>
      <mass value="1.0"/>
value="1e-5" />
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <inertia ixx="0.015" iyy="0.015" izz="0.015" ixx="1e-6" ixy="0" ixz="0" iyz="0"/>
iyy="1e-6" iyz="0" izz="1e-6" />
    </inertial>
  </link>

  <joint name="hokuyo_joint" type="fixed">
    <axis xyz="0 1 0" />
    <origin xyz="0 0 0.15" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="hokuyo_link"/>
  </joint>

    <!-- placeholder for laser sensor plugin-->

 </robot>

You have to add the following Gazebo tag with a Plugin that interacts with ROS (put it where the placeholder is):

  <!-- this is a laser sensor-->
  <gazebo reference="hokuyo_link">
      <sensor type="ray" name="laser">
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
      <visualize>false</visualize>
      <update_rate>40</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>720</samples>
            <resolution>1</resolution>
            <min_angle>-1.570796</min_angle>
            <max_angle>1.570796</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.10</min>
          <max>30.0</max>
          <resolution>0.01</resolution>
        </range>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so">
        <topicName>laser/scan</topicName>
        <frameName>hokuyo_link</frameName>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

Note that the plugin is different to the one you are using: <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so"> This plugin publishes directly to ROS topics.

Fire up Gazebo:
$ roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch

Then cd to where you saved your URDF file.
Next spawn the URDF model to Gazebo:

$ rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file laser_sensor.urdf -urdf -z 0.5 -model laser_sensor

Load the robot model to parameter server:
$ rosparam set robot_description --textfile laser_sensor.urdf

To broadcast the robot model (from the URDF description) to the tf transform library run:
$ rosrun joint_state_publisher joint_state_publisher
$ rosrun robot_state_publisher robot_state_publisher

To verify that everything in running:
$ rostopic list
$ rostopic echo tf_static

Then open Rviz.
Select the drop_down for fixed frame and type in "base_link".
Finally add a LaserScan visualization and set the correct topic.

I can recommend starting with these tutorials:

http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?tut=ros_gzplugins#GPULaser

You are running a Gazebo plugin that is not ROS-aware (more on that below). In order to spawn a laser sensor in Gazebo and visualize the laser scan in Rviz there are some steps missing. For instance:

You need an URDF file, this is a minimal example (lets call it laser_sensor.urdf):

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<robot name="cube_laser">

  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <collision>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
  </link>

  <!-- a cube to use as laser sensor geometry -->
  <link name="hokuyo_link">
    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <inertial>
      <mass value="1e-5" />
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <inertia ixx="1e-6" ixy="0" ixz="0" iyy="1e-6" iyz="0" izz="1e-6" />
    </inertial>
  </link>

  <joint name="hokuyo_joint" type="fixed">
    <axis xyz="0 1 0" />
    <origin xyz="0 0 0.15" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="hokuyo_link"/>
  </joint>

    <!-- placeholder for laser sensor plugin-->

    </robot>

You have to add the following Gazebo tag with a Plugin that interacts with ROS (put it where the placeholder is):

  <!-- this is a laser sensor-->
  <gazebo reference="hokuyo_link">
      <sensor type="ray" name="laser">
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
      <visualize>false</visualize>
      <update_rate>40</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>720</samples>
            <resolution>1</resolution>
            <min_angle>-1.570796</min_angle>
            <max_angle>1.570796</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.10</min>
          <max>30.0</max>
          <resolution>0.01</resolution>
        </range>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so">
        <topicName>laser/scan</topicName>
        <frameName>hokuyo_link</frameName>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

Note that the plugin is different to the one you are using: <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so"> This plugin publishes directly to ROS topics.

Fire up Gazebo:
$ roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch

Then cd to where you saved your URDF file.
Next spawn the URDF model to Gazebo:

$ rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file laser_sensor.urdf -urdf -z 0.5 -model laser_sensor

Load the robot model to parameter server:
$ rosparam set robot_description --textfile laser_sensor.urdf

To broadcast the robot model (from the URDF description) to the tf transform library run:
$ rosrun joint_state_publisher joint_state_publisher
$ rosrun robot_state_publisher robot_state_publisher

To verify that everything in running:
$ rostopic list
$ rostopic echo tf_static

Then open Rviz.
Select the drop_down for fixed frame and type in "base_link".
Finally add a LaserScan visualization and set the correct topic.

I can recommend starting with these tutorials:

http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch Building a Visual Robot Model with URDF from Scratch
http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch

Tutorial: Using Gazebo plugins with ROS
http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?tut=ros_gzplugins#GPULaser

You are running a Gazebo plugin that is not ROS-aware (more on that below). In order to spawn a laser sensor in Gazebo and visualize the laser scan in Rviz there are some steps missing. For instance:

You need an URDF file, this is a minimal example (lets call it laser_sensor.urdf):

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<robot name="cube_laser">

  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <collision>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
  </link>

  <!-- a cube to use as laser sensor geometry -->
  <link name="hokuyo_link">
    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <inertial>
      <mass value="1e-5" />
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <inertia ixx="1e-6" ixy="0" ixz="0" iyy="1e-6" iyz="0" izz="1e-6" />
    </inertial>
  </link>

  <joint name="hokuyo_joint" type="fixed">
    <axis xyz="0 1 0" />
    <origin xyz="0 0 0.15" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="hokuyo_link"/>
  </joint>

    <!-- placeholder for laser sensor plugin-->

    </robot>

You have to add the following Gazebo tag with a Plugin plugin that interacts with ROS (put it where the placeholder is):

  <!-- this is a laser sensor-->
  <gazebo reference="hokuyo_link">
      <sensor type="ray" name="laser">
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
      <visualize>false</visualize>
      <update_rate>40</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>720</samples>
            <resolution>1</resolution>
            <min_angle>-1.570796</min_angle>
            <max_angle>1.570796</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.10</min>
          <max>30.0</max>
          <resolution>0.01</resolution>
        </range>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so">
        <topicName>laser/scan</topicName>
        <frameName>hokuyo_link</frameName>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

Fire up Gazebo:
$ roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch

Then cd to where you saved your URDF file.
Next spawn the URDF model to Gazebo:

$ rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file laser_sensor.urdf -urdf -z 0.5 -model laser_sensor

Load the robot model to parameter server:
$ rosparam set robot_description --textfile laser_sensor.urdf

To broadcast the robot model (from the URDF description) to the tf transform library run:
$ rosrun joint_state_publisher joint_state_publisher
$ rosrun robot_state_publisher robot_state_publisher

To verify that everything in running:
$ rostopic list
$ rostopic echo tf_static

Then open Rviz.
Select the drop_down for fixed frame and type in "base_link".
Finally add a LaserScan visualization and set the correct topic.

I can recommend starting with these tutorials:

Building a Visual Robot Model with URDF from Scratch
http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch

Tutorial: Using Gazebo plugins with ROS
http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?tut=ros_gzplugins#GPULaser

In order to spawn a laser sensor in Gazebo and visualize the laser scan in Rviz there are some steps missing. For instance:

You need an URDF file, this is a minimal example (lets call it laser_sensor.urdf):

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<robot name="cube_laser">

  <link name="base_link">
    <visual>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <collision>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.2 0.2 0.2"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
  </link>

  <!-- a cube to use as laser sensor geometry -->
  <link name="hokuyo_link">
    <collision>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </collision>
    <visual>
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <geometry>
        <box size="0.1 0.1 0.1"/>
      </geometry>
    </visual>
    <inertial>
      <mass value="1e-5" />
      <origin xyz="0 0 0" rpy="0 0 0"/>
      <inertia ixx="1e-6" ixy="0" ixz="0" iyy="1e-6" iyz="0" izz="1e-6" />
    </inertial>
  </link>

  <joint name="hokuyo_joint" type="fixed">
    <axis xyz="0 1 0" />
    <origin xyz="0 0 0.15" rpy="0 0 0"/>
    <parent link="base_link"/>
    <child link="hokuyo_link"/>
  </joint>

    <!-- placeholder for laser sensor plugin-->

    </robot>

You have to add the following Gazebo tag with a plugin that interacts with ROS (put it where the placeholder is):

  <!-- this is a laser sensor-->
  <gazebo reference="hokuyo_link">
      <sensor type="ray" name="laser">
      <pose>0 0 0 0 0 0</pose>
      <visualize>false</visualize>
      <update_rate>40</update_rate>
      <ray>
        <scan>
          <horizontal>
            <samples>720</samples>
            <resolution>1</resolution>
            <min_angle>-1.570796</min_angle>
            <max_angle>1.570796</max_angle>
          </horizontal>
        </scan>
        <range>
          <min>0.10</min>
          <max>30.0</max>
          <resolution>0.01</resolution>
        </range>
      </ray>
      <plugin name="gazebo_ros_laser" filename="libgazebo_ros_laser.so">
        <topicName>laser/scan</topicName>
        <frameName>hokuyo_link</frameName>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

<frameName> must match the name of one link in the URDF file.

Fire up Gazebo:
$ roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch

Then cd to where you saved your URDF file.
Next spawn the URDF model to Gazebo:

$ rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file laser_sensor.urdf -urdf -z 0.5 -model laser_sensor

Load the robot model to parameter server:
$ rosparam set robot_description --textfile laser_sensor.urdf

To broadcast the robot model (from the URDF description) to the tf transform library run:
$ rosrun joint_state_publisher joint_state_publisher
$ rosrun robot_state_publisher robot_state_publisher

To verify that everything in running:
$ rostopic list
$ rostopic echo tf_static

Then open Rviz.
Select the drop_down for fixed frame and type in "base_link".
Finally add a LaserScan visualization and set the correct topic.

I can recommend starting with these tutorials:

Building a Visual Robot Model with URDF from Scratch
http://wiki.ros.org/urdf/Tutorials/Building%20a%20Visual%20Robot%20Model%20with%20URDF%20from%20Scratch

Tutorial: Using Gazebo plugins with ROS
http://gazebosim.org/tutorials?tut=ros_gzplugins#GPULaser