MoveIt: Revolutionizing Robotics Motion Planning
MoveIt is a cutting-edge motion planning framework that is transforming the field of robotics. It incorporates the latest advancements in motion planning, manipulation, 3D perception, kinematics, control, and navigation, making it a state-of-the-art solution for mobile manipulation.
Core Features
The framework offers a range of powerful features. Its motion planning capabilities allow for the generation of high-degree of freedom trajectories through cluttered environments, avoiding local minimums. Manipulation analysis and interaction with the environment are enabled through grasp generation. Inverse kinematics solutions help determine joint positions for a given pose, even in over-actuated arms. Control features allow for the execution of time-parameterized joint trajectories to low level hardware controllers through common interfaces. 3D perception is supported with the ability to connect to depth sensors and point clouds with Octomaps. Collision checking helps avoid obstacles using geometric primitives, meshes, or point cloud data.
Benefits for Users
For companies and researchers, MoveIt provides numerous advantages. The powerful 3D interactive visualizer in Rviz offers out-of-the-box visual demonstrations, allowing new users to experiment with various planning algorithms around obstacles. The cutting-edge Gazebo simulation speeds up development and testing cycles by leveraging a full physics-based simulator. The easy-to-use Setup Assistant simplifies the configuration process for any robot to work with MoveIt. The Advanced Task Constructor provides a flexible and transparent way to define and plan complex actions. Additionally, the intelligent grasp generation libraries enhance the pick and place capabilities of the framework.
Current and Future Versions
MoveIt comes in several versions, with different ROS versions and statuses. The Rolling version is continuously developed, while the Jazzy version is the recommended LTS version. Other versions like Iron, Humble, Galactic, Foxy, and Noetic are also available, with some being maintained and others having reached end-of-life. MoveIt Pro is a commercially supported version.
In conclusion, MoveIt is the most widely used software for manipulation and has been employed on over 150 robots. Its open-source nature under the BSD license makes it accessible for industrial, commercial, and research use. With its continuous development and innovative features, MoveIt is shaping the future of robotics motion planning.
