dynrclcpp

Dynamic ROS 2 client library

This library enables developers to dynamically create and destroy ROS2 entities such as publishers, subscriptions, service clients and service servers, by introducing dynamic message type handling.

Unlike rclcpp, which requires message types to be known at compile time, dynrclcpp allows developers to specify message types at runtime using string literals. This capability is particularly useful in scenarios where the message type cannot be predetermined or need to be adjusted based on runtime conditions.

The same library can be used with many ROS2 distributions (see Tested Distro).

Key Features

• Dynamic Message Type Retrieval: Enables the creation of publishers, subscriptions, service client and service servers, where the message type (or service type) is resolved at runtime, offering greater flexibility and adaptability in complex systems.
• Flexibility: Adapt to changing requirements and environments with ease.
• Ease of Use: Simple and intuitive API for seamless integration into your ROS2 projects.
• Efficiency: Optimize resource usage by creating and destroying communication entities as needed,

Tested Distro

• Fox
• Galactic
• Humble
• Iron
• Jezzy

Instruction:

To create a node with dynamic ROS 2 entities, follow the steps metioned below:

• Install dependencies:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt-get install nlohmann-json3-dev
  sudo apt install libyaml-cpp-dev
  

• Clone the dynrclcpp library into the src directory of your ROS2 workspace.

  cd ~/ros2_ws/src
  git clone https://github.com/NDHANA94/dynrclcpp.git
  

• Create your ROS2 package with a node:

  ros2 pkg create <PKG NAME> --node-name <NODE NAME> --dependencies dynmsg dynrclcpp rcl rcl_action ament_index_cpp
  

  Create dynamic entities within the Node. Check out examples to understand how to create publishers, subscriptions, service clients and service servers using dynrclcpp library.

• build:

  cd ~/ros2_ws
  colcon build --symlink-install
  

Examples:

Check example nodes to understand how to use dynrclcpp library to create ROS2 node entities.

• Publishers:
  • String publisher
  • Int32 publisher
  • int32MultiArray publisher
  • Point publisher
  • PoseStamped publisher
• Subscriptions:
  • String subscriber
  • Int32 subscriber
  • Float64MultiArray subscriber
• Service Clients:
  • AddTwoInts client
• Service Servers:
  • AddTwoInts server

TODO

• ROS parameters
• Runtime Configuration: Facilitate the configuration of nodes through external parameters or configuration files, allowing for easy adjestments without the need for recompilation.

Acknowledgements

This dynrclcpp library is developed utilizing dynmsg library of dynamic_message_introspection.