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Logitech - Gamepad F710

The Gamepad F710 by Logitech is a very popular controller in gaming, but also in the field of robotics. Connection is provided by fast 2.4 GHz wireless connection via a small USB receiver.

Gamepad F710

Sources:

Getting started​

To run the Gamepad F710, you must meet certain requirements listed below:

Software​

Hardware​

  • Connectivity: USB 2.0/3.0

Make sure the Gamepad is in DirectInput Mode (switch in front of the gamepad with letters D and X -> select D).

Demo​

Joy2Twist package creates a ROS 2 node, allowing control the ROS-powered mobile and manipulation robots with F710 Gamepad. Joy2Twist node converts sensor_msgs/Joy message type to geometry_msgs/Twist type in order to provide velocity commands for the robot. Therefore, this package is compliant with any other gamepad controllers which are able to publish the sensor_msgs/Joy message.

ROS 2 / ROS

This article covers the use of F710 Gamepad in a ROS 2 environment. If you are interested in ROS, please check out the ros1 branch in the joy2twist repository.

The result of this demo will be the publication of a velocity messages on the ROS topic /cmd_vel. An example with a mobile robot will be described below.

Tested on

Lenovo Legion laptop running Ubuntu 22.04 with ROS 2 Humble natively installed.

Start guide​

1. Plugin the device

Connect a small USB receiver to the USB port of your device (e.g. laptop).

You can verify that the device is connected from the command line:

lsusb | grep "Gamepad"

2. Download joy2twist Docker image

docker pull husarion/joy2twist:humble

3. Create a configuration file

nano joy2twist.yaml

4. Paste the content inside

joy2twist.yaml
/**:
  ros__parameters:
    linear_velocity_factor:
      fast: 1.0
      regular: 0.5
      slow: 0.2

    angular_velocity_factor:
      fast: 1.0
      regular: 0.5
      slow: 0.2

    # This button mapping should be adjusted to the specific controller
    # The following map is suited for Logitech F710
    button_index_map:
      axis:
        angular_z: 2 # Right joystick
        linear_x: 1 # Left joystick
        linear_y: 0 # Left joystick
      dead_man_switch: 4 # LB
      fast_mode: 7 # RT
      slow_mode: 5 # RB

5. Press ctrl + o and then ctrl + x to save and quit

6. Run the following Docker command

docker run -d \
    --name joy2twist \
    --restart unless-stopped \
    --device /dev/input \
    --volume $PWD/joy2twist.yaml:/joy2twist.yaml \
    husarion/joy2twist:humble \
    ros2 launch joy2twist gamepad_controller.launch.py joy2twist_params_file:=/joy2twist.yaml

Result​

Now you should see the relevant ROS 2 topic:

user@hostname:~$ ros2 topic list
/cmd_vel
/diagnostics
/joy
/joy/set_feedback
/parameter_events
/rosout

By pressing buttons and tilting the Gamepad sticks you can check what is happening on the /joy and /cmd_vel topics:

ros2 topic echo /joy
ros2 topic echo /cmd_vel

Now, when your robot subscribes to the cmd_vel topic, it will be automatically controlled by the F710 Gamepad. An example with a real robot is at the end of this article. This is what the entire F710 Gamepad legend looks like in this configuration:

Gamepad legend

To stop a container type:

docker stop joy2twist

ROS API​

In order for your robot to work with the joy2twist package, it must work on the following ROS topics for full compatibility. The joy node receives signals from the physical Gamepad and publishes them in the form of a /joy topic. The joy2twist node is translating /joy topic to /cmd_vel topic with the following interface:

Publishes

  • /cmd_vel (geometry_msgs/Twist)

Subscribes

  • /joy (sensor_msgs/Joy)

Parameters

Following parameters change the joystick's axes mapped to given robot axes of freedom. For more information about parameter values, refer to the joy package wiki page.

  • ~axis_linear_x (int, default: 1)
  • ~axis_linear_y (int, default: 0)
  • ~axis_angular_z (int, default: 2)

The robot can be operated at 3 scales of speed depending on pressed buttons. It's possible to adjust velocity scaling factors using a config file. The units are m/s for linear movement and rad/s for angular movement.

  • fast (float, default: 1)
  • regular (float, default: 0.5)
  • slow (float, default: 0.2)

Button mapping​

ButtonFunction
LBenable driving
RBslow driving mode
RTfast driving mode

ROSbot example​

You can use the F710 Gamepad with these Husarion robots for development and research:

ROSbot XL

1. Plugin the device

Connect a small USB receiver to the USB port of ROSbot XL/2R

2. Clone the joy2twist repository

git clone https://github.com/husarion/joy2twist.git

3. Run the example

cd joy2twist/demo/single_robot
docker compose compose.rosbotxl.yaml up

4. Control the ROSbot

QUICK NOTE

In case of any problems visit joy2twist repository for more information.

Panther example​

Panther

Panther is the bigger autonomous mobile robot and a platform dedicated for an outdoor environment. By default, the Panther robot comes with an F710 Gamepad. You can control the Panther with an additional safety function related to E-stop:

Gamepad Panther legend

For more details, please visit the Panther Manual.

Other examples​

Summary​

In summary, controlling robots with gamepads is an interesting technology that can have many applications. It can be used for learning programming and robot control, as well as for improving safety in dangerous places or simply having fun. The joy2twist package is a great example of the application of the ROS environment in mobile robotics in practice.

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