Optimax Systems and PickNik Robotics have made available a ROS 2 controller for ABB manipulators. An ABB IRB 1200-5/0.9 manipulator has been used to test the package. For simulation in ROS, you can fake the ros2 controllers in the first mode. The controller can also be interfaced with ABB’s unique RobotStudio software.
The new ABB package supports two different simulation modes. For ROS emulation, it can impersonate ros2 controllers in the first mode. Alternatively, the controller can interface using ABB‘s proprietary RobotStudio software, which offers a variety of ABB-specific add-ons and provides a very accurate modelling environment. The package has also been tested using a manipulator with an IRB 1200-5/0.9. As of now, the package includes release files for the IRB 1200-5/0.9. We encourage pull requests, which should be a simple procedure for porting new robot models. The ROS community has already created several pull requests to provide new capabilities.
PickNik and Optimax listed the following benefits of this ROS 2 version over the ROS 1 ABB packages:
– Optimised security
– More flexibility in terms of middleware configuration
– A repository contains all necessary packages and documentation.
The new ABB package will be used by the US producer of optical prototypes Optimax for precise production.
The more than 30 robotics specialists of the PickNik team are pioneers in the field of open source robotics and have extensive experience in combined robotics. The second major robot controller for ROS 2 that PickNik helped launch. A ROS 2 controller for Universal Robots’ collaborative robotic arms became available in May 2022.
The logistics, e-commerce, healthcare and consumer goods industries can now handle difficult depalletising operations thanks to a new robotic depalletising technology from ABB. ABB’s industrial robot arm is used in the solution, together with vision guidance and a new gripper design specially designed for mixed pallet loads with a variety of case sizes and types, the system is designed to perform optimally.
Should you need any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.