ROS actionlib

　　actionlib是ROS中一个很重要的功能包集合，尽管在ROS中已经提供了srevice机制来满足请求—响应式的使用场景，但是假如某个请求执行时间很长，在此期间用户想查看执行的进度或者取消这个请求的话，service机制就不能满足了，但是actionlib可满足用户这种需求。例如，控制机器人运动到地图中某一目标位置，这个过程可能复杂而漫长，执行过程中还可能强制中断或反馈信息，这时actionlib就能大展伸手了。

client-server

    actionlib使用client-server工作模式，ActionClient 和ActionServer通过"ROS Action Protocol"进行通信，"ROS Action Protocol"以ROS消息方式进行传输。此外ActionClient 和ActionServer给用户提供了一些简单的接口，用户使用这些接口可以完成goal请求（client-side客户端）和goal执行（server-side服务端）。

　　ActionClient 和ActionServer之间使用action protocol通信，action protocol就是预定义的一组ROS message，这些message被放到ROS topic上在 ActionClient 和ActionServer之间进行传实现二者的沟通。

action Interface

　　ROS Messages：

• goal - Used to send new goals to servers. 代表一个任务，可以被ActionClient发送到ActionServer。

• cancel - Used to send cancel requests to servers.

• status - Used to notify clients on the current state of every goal in the system.

• feedback - Used to send clients periodic auxiliary information for a goal. 服务端定期告知Client当前Goal执行过程中的情况。

• result - Used to send clients one-time auxiliary information upon completion of a goal.

ROS系统在action文件（文件名后缀为.action）中定义了上述goal、result、feedback等消息。

SimpleActionServer类

SimpleActionServer类的构造函数有多种重载形式：

SimpleActionServer(std::string name, ExecuteCallback execute_callback, bool auto_start)
SimpleActionServer(std::string name, bool auto_start)
SimpleActionServer(ros::NodeHandle n, std::string name, ExecuteCallback execute_callback, bool auto_start) 
SimpleActionServer(ros::NodeHandle n, std::string name, bool auto_start)

Server State Transitions

Goals请求由ActionClient发出，ActionServer接收后会创建一个有限状态机来跟踪goal的状态：  

　　goal状态的转变主要由server端程序发起，可以使用下面一系列的命令：

• setAccepted - After inspecting a goal, decide to start processing it.

• setRejected - After inspecting a goal, decide to never process it because it is an invalid request (out of bounds, resources not available, invalid, etc).

• setSucceeded - Notify that goal has been successfully processed.

• setAborted - Notify that goal encountered an error during processsing, and had to be aborted.

• setCanceled - Notify that goal is no longer being processed, due to a cancel request.

　　客户端也能异步发起状态转变：

• CancelRequest: The client notifies the action server that it wants the server to stop processing the goal.

　　状态机有下面多种状态：

　　中间状态：

• Pending - The goal has yet to be processed by the action server

• Active - The goal is currently being processed by the action server

• Recalling - The goal has not been processed and a cancel request has been received from the action client, but the action server has not confirmed the goal is canceled

• Preempting - The goal is being processed, and a cancel request has been received from the action client, but the action server has not confirmed the goal is canceled

　　最终状态：

• Rejected - The goal was rejected by the action server without being processed and without a request from the action client to cancel

• Succeeded - The goal was achieved successfully by the action server

• Aborted - The goal was terminated by the action server without an external request from the action client to cancel

• Recalled - The goal was canceled by either another goal, or a cancel request, before the action server began processing the goal

• Preempted - Processing of the goal was canceled by either another goal, or a cancel request sent to the action server

• 

参考资料

http://wiki.ros.org/actionlib_tutorials/Tutorials

https://blog.csdn.net/luohuiwu/article/details/96484081