Adding Connector Plugin

[ralphieraccoon]

Description
Integrating the Webots Connector node into webots_ros2.

Affected Packages

• webots_ros2_driver
• webots_ros2_msgs

[skpawar1305]

I don't know anything about Webots Connector, please choose someone else as reviewer @ralphieraccoon

[lukicdarkoo]

@ralphieraccoon Thank you, this looks quite good.

For wb_connector_lock() I would rather use a service, but this is fine too. We can add a service as well later.

Could you please add a test for this?

[ralphieraccoon]

No problem! I can write a service if you prefer, I used VacuumGripper as a template. I guess you might want a service for that too?

As for tests, is there a particular robot you'd like to use? I guess I could put a tool changer on a robot arm. Speaking of which, I think VacuumGripper is missing a test too.

[lukicdarkoo]

@ralphieraccoon

No problem! I can write a service if you prefer, I used VacuumGripper as a template. I guess you might want a service for that too?

This is a good point, let's keep consistent with the vacuum gripper.

As for tests, is there a particular robot you'd like to use? I guess I could put a tool changer on a robot arm. Speaking of which, I think VacuumGripper is missing a test too.

Whatever robot you prefer. Please add a test for connectors only in this PR. If you want, you can open a separate PR for the vacuum gripper.

[ralphieraccoon]

OK, what I think I'll do is add a world to the webots_ros2_universal_robot that includes a tool changer that can used to test the Connector node (which I'll write a test for in test_system_universal_robot.py). Then in another PR I'll add a vacuum gripper and add another test in there for that.

[lukicdarkoo]

If adding a new world please add it in the webots_ros2_tests package and keep it as simple as possible. It can be UR robot or it can be the one we use for driver tests.

[ralphieraccoon]

I've created a new test in webots_ros2_tests called test_connector_and_vacuum_gripper.py. This uses a new world file connector_and_vacuum_gripper_test.wbt which is a bare bones implementation of both the Connector and VacuumGripper nodes. The test checks the presence topic, the is_locked service and uses GPS nodes to make sure the objects are actually picked up and dropped in the Webots simulation.

I've uploaded a video of the test in action below:

Screencast.from.2025-04-16.10-09-05.webm

It works on my machine, I believe it should work on the testing version here, I don't think it will work on main until the next sync which could be several weeks away.

I'll make a separate PR to add tests for the VaccuumGripper which should be broadly the same.

Hope this works for you, please let me know if there's anything you want changed.