Hi Ugo, I just tried running your xml file through an xml validator ( www.xmlvalidation.com). I'm getting an error: *55:** **8** **The string "--" is not permitted within comments.* * * Maybe this is causing robot state publisher to fail quietly. Vijay On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 3:08 AM, Ugo Cupcic wrote: > Wim, > > The urdf model which doesn't work contained two links and a joint. I tried > it once more and I don't get a warning in the rxconsole. Still the > robot_state_publisher didn't subscribe to the /joint_states topic. > > The dummy.xml file I attached is my simplified urdf model that doesn't > work. I have a more complete urdf model which works fine. > > Cheers, > > Ugo > > > Wim Meeussen wrote: > >> Ugo, >> >> I figured it out. My urdf model didn't have the same number of joints as >>> my published joint_states messages. >>> >> >> I don't think this was your problem. The robot state publisher does >> not care about additional/missing joints in the joint_states message. >> >> >> rostopic info /joint_states >>> Type: sensor_msgs/JointState >>> Publishers: >>> * /shadowhand_publisher (http://ulster:35258/) >>> Subscribers: None >>> >> >> The output above shows the problem: no node is subscribed to the >> joint_states topic. So the robot state publisher is not receiving any >> messages. This should only happen when you give the robot state >> publisher a urdf with no or only one link. In that case, the robot >> state publisher couldn't possible publish anything, and it therefore >> does not subscribe to the joint_states topic. >> >> But, you should have seen a warning in 'rxconsole'. It should have >> shown either "Robot state publisher got an empty tree and cannot >> publish any state to tf" or "Robot state publisher got a tree with >> only one segment and cannot publish any state to tf". After it shows >> this warning, the robot state publisher just sits there, unable to do >> anything. I guess that is quite a confusing state. We had a discussion >> about this here . Feel >> free to add comments based on your experience with the robot state >> publisher. >> >> Wim >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Wim Meeussen >> Willow Garage Inc. >> > _______________________________________________ >> ros-users mailing list >> ros-users@code.ros.org >> https://code.ros.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-users >> >> > > -- > Ugo Cupcic | Shadow Robot Company | ugo@shadowrobot.com > Software Engineer 251 Liverpool Road > need a Hand? London N1 1LX | +44 20 7700 2487 > http://www.shadowrobot.com/hand/ @shadowrobot > > > _______________________________________________ > ros-users mailing list > ros-users@code.ros.org > https://code.ros.org/mailman/listinfo/ros-users > >