tf scope and goals

Eric and Tully

Fundamental goals

  • Let end-users transform data from one frame on the robot into another easily and correctly
    • point-clouds
    • positions (e.g. detected objects)
    • 3d poses (e.g. localized 3d objects)
    • orientations (e.g. keep glass upright)
  • Unify error-prone transform math into one location, so it can be correct and tested
  • Support easy distribution of transform data (primarily robot kinematics and localization data)
  • Encourage single data-type use for geometric primitives

Requirements

  • Ease of use. tf MUST be accessible to people without significant transform experience. It must be much easier to use correctly than to use wrong.
  • Correctness. Everything implemented in tf must be completely correct. It is better to not implement features than to have untested or untrusted features.
    • Interpolation and extrapolation behavior must be clearly defined and not have gotchas.
  • Performance. tf shouldn't be unnecessarily slow, but performance is not the primary concern.
    • Published transform rates will be at absolute maximum 30 transforms / ms. In reality they will probably be 30 transforms / 10ms.
    • For highest-rate requests, users will get transforms and then repeatedly apply them.
    • The worst-case request use case we know if is the visualization, which will be 30 requests / 10ms.

Structure / components

3d math library

base geometric primitives

  • 3d vector
  • 3d point?
  • quaternion / orientation
  • full 3d transform / pose (vector + orientation)

basic mathematic operations

  • 3d vector/point addition, subtraction, scaling, identity, projection, dot, cross, interpolation, norm, normalize, distance, distance^2
  • quaternion/quaternion multiplication, imports, exports, interpolation, angular distance, normalize
  • transform: composition, inversion, set/get orientation and translation
  • apply rotations to vectors, points, orientations(q*q), transforms
  • apply transforms to vectors, points, orientations, transforms(composition)
  • apply vector translation to transforms

possible mathematical operations

  • skew-symmetric, cubic/quadratic interpolation
  • quaternion sampling

design decisions

  • member or external functions - external and polymorphic
  • class names - vector3
  • visibility of internal implementation
  • making quaternion visible externally
    • is normalization required?
    • is "knowing quaternions" required?
  • semantic differences
    • vector vs point - only issue is applying transforms. Can be resolved by transformPoint and transformVector.
    • rotation vs orientation - just have quaternion.
    • transformation vs pose
  • integration with ROS messages

Possibilities

  • Nocturnal
  • Ogre
  • Irrlicht
  • Bullet

Conclusion:

  • Using Bullet for 3d math library looks like the right choice.

Transform graph

Time-caching and parenting architecture.


Wiki: tf/Reviews/2008-09-09_structure,_scope,_and_goals (last edited 2009-08-14 20:54:11 by localhost)