How can I call a ros2 executable with arguments from a non-ROS file

asked 2022-07-27 12:02:52 -0600

AlexandrosNic
233 ●20 ●30 ●32

updated 2022-10-04 09:11:17 -0600

Hello,

I have two questions: I would like to create a ROS API to start ROS nodes from a non-ROS python script. For example the non-ROS python script: pick.py, would call the pick_ros.py to start a node (assuming that ROS is already running). Even though this is not elegant, the only way I found to do that, is by writing in the Python script the terminal command: os.system("ros2 run package pick") My first question, is there another way to run ros2 run within Python?

Second, the pick method of the pick_ros executable ideally should take three arguments: x, y, z. Is there a way to call the ros node with arguments, without declaring these as ros parameters? (the reason is, that the pick_ros.py calls smach (state machine), which is not a node. And declaring parameters can be done only in nodes) So I would like something like: ros2 run package pick x=0.2, y=0.2, z=0.2

Edit: Declaring parameters however raises a type error:

I get x, y, z values from an action message (as floats - double type is not valid), whether ROS parameter types only accepts double type (no float) which for a reason identifies it as a type error.

In particular, my action msg is:

# Request
float64 x
float64 y
float64 z

and the pick node is:

def pick_sm(x=0.2, y=0.3, z=0.2):
    rclpy.init(args=None)

    node = rclpy.create_node('pick')

    node.declare_parameter('x')
    node.declare_parameter('y')
    node.declare_parameter('z')

    x_par = Parameter('x', Parameter.Type.DOUBLE, x)
    y_par = Parameter('y', Parameter.Type.DOUBLE, y)
    z_par = Parameter('z', Parameter.Type.DOUBLE, z)

When I call the pick_sm node through a non-ROS python script, I get this error:

AssertionError: The 'x' field must be of type 'float'

which prevents me from using these x, y, z fields as ROS parameters

Thank you in advance

answered 2022-07-28 00:58:39 -0600

Pablo Iñigo Blasco

2982 ●74 ●121 ●128 http://www.linkedin.co...

I put here how you could do that via python package ros2run.

from ros2run.api import get_executable_path, run_executable

executable_path = get_executable_path(executable_name="my_executable", package_name="my_package")
my_arg_values = ["myarg1", "myarg2", "myarg3"]

run_executable(path=executable_path,argv= my_arg_values)

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Comments

That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Pablo! But then I would like to know what is the best way to use these arguments in the ros node executable.

It could be somethine like:

import sys
    x = float(sys.argv[1])
    y = float(sys.argv[2])
    z = float(sys.argv[3])

or maybe it has to do with:

rclpy.init(args=None)

In ROS1 it would be:

rospy.myargv(argv=sys.argv)

what about the ROS2 equivalent?

AlexandrosNic ( 2022-07-28 04:36:29 -0600 )edit

I would use ROS CLI: https://docs.ros.org/en/foxy/How-To-G... to setup the node parameters. You have a nice tutorial with YAML parameters file there: https://roboticsbackend.com/ros2-yaml...

ljaniec ( 2022-07-28 08:21:08 -0600 )edit

thank you @ljaniec for your answer, however I wouldn't like to use yaml parameters since these are dynamically changing.

I could however use them as ROS parameters but oddly, I encountered some errors since x, y, z get their values from an action message (as floats - double type is not valid), whether ROS parameter types only accepts double type (no float) which for a reason identifies it as a type error.

And for that reason I was checking the possibility for sys.argv

AlexandrosNic ( 2022-07-28 08:30:19 -0600 )edit

Ok, dynamically changing parameters aren't currently possible AFAIK from documentation. This error with float/double seems a bit weird to be honest, maybe it is worth a try to debug? Could you add these error messages in the edit of the question?

ljaniec ( 2022-07-28 08:38:15 -0600 )edit

I just edited the question to add these errors. Thank you for your help @ljaniec

AlexandrosNic ( 2022-07-28 09:26:36 -0600 )edit

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