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:
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goal - Used to send new goals to servers. 代表一个任务,可以被ActionClient发送到ActionServer。
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cancel - Used to send cancel requests to servers.
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status - Used to notify clients on the current state of every goal in the system.
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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。
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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:
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setAccepted - After inspecting a goal, decide to start processing it.
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setRejected - After inspecting a goal, decide to never process it because it is an invalid request (out of bounds, resources not available, invalid, etc).
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setSucceeded - Notify that goal has been successfully processed.
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setAborted - Notify that goal encountered an error during processsing, and had to be aborted.
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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:
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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:
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Pending - The goal has yet to be processed by the action server
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Active - The goal is currently being processed by the action server
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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
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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:
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Rejected - The goal was rejected by the action server without being processed and without a request from the action client to cancel
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Succeeded - The goal was achieved successfully by the action server
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Aborted - The goal was terminated by the action server without an external request from the action client to cancel
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Recalled - The goal was canceled by either another goal, or a cancel request, before the action server began processing the goal
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Preempted - Processing of the goal was canceled by either another goal, or a cancel request sent to the action server
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