instructions.txt

# Instructions to install the Reflex 1 software

1. Install a fresh(optional) version of Ubuntu 14.04.6 x64 (either on a Virtual Machine or a Real Computer).

2. Connect to the Internet

3. Install ROS Jade

Ros Jade is an old version of ROS and can be
found in the ROS snapshot repository only.
Visit the ROS snapshot repository here:

http://wiki.ros.org/SnapshotRepository

execute the next steps in the Ubuntu terminal to install ROS Jade.

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-key 4B63CF8FDE49746E98FA01DDAD19BAB3CBF125EA

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://snapshots.ros.org/jade/final/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ros-snapshots.list'

sudo apt-get update

4. Now ROS Jade can be installed with the next command.

sudo apt-get install ros-jade-desktop-full

5. Initialize rosdep

sudo rosdep init
rosdep update

6. Setup Environment

echo "source /opt/ros/jade/setup.bash" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

source /opt/ros/jade/setup.bash

7. Install rosinstall

sudo apt-get install python-rosinstall

8. Install Reflex 1 software

echo 'source /opt/ros/jade/setup.bash' >> ~/.bashrc

source ~/.bashrc

mkdir -p ~/catkin_ws/src

cd ~/catkin_ws/src

catkin_init_workspace

cd ~/catkin_ws

catkin_make

echo 'source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash' >> ~/.bashrc

source ~/.bashrc

sudo apt-get install git git-core

9. Add your user to the dialout group

sudo adduser <your_username> dialout

10. Clone the righthand robotics code

cd ~/catkin_ws/src/

git clone https://github.com/RightHandRobotics/reflex-ros-pkg.git

// If your ReFlex gripper connects via USB clone the following (ReFlex SF, ReFlex Plus and ReFlex 1)

git clone https://github.com/RightHandRobotics/dynamixel_motor

11. Run the basic driver

cd ~/catkin_ws/

catkin_make

# ignore error about tf and deprecated Quaternions

12. Check if everything is installed

rospack find reflex_driver

rospack find reflex_msgs

rospack find reflex

13. Install Python 3.6.3 and requirements by running
the following lines in a terminal

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential libpq-dev libssl-dev openssl libffi-dev zlib1g-dev
sudo apt-get install python3-pip python3-dev
apt-cache search python3.6
cd ~/Desktop
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.3/Python-3.6.3.tgz
tar -xvf Python-3.6.3.tgz
cd Python-3.6.3
sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations
sudo make -j8
sudo make install
sudo chown -R <your_username>:<your_username> ~/Desktop/Python-3.6.3
sudo apt-get install
sudo apt-get install python-pip
sudo pip install --upgrade pip
sudo pip3 install pyyaml
sudo pip3 install catkin_pkg
sudo chown -R <your_username> ~/.ros
sudo pip3 install rospkg
sudo pip3 install cryptography

# verify install by running
python3.6

(OPTIONAL)
- Make Ubuntu autologin
Go to settings > User Accounts
Click on the Unlock on the Top right corner and then
disable the automatic login.

- Make Ubuntu screen not lock
Go to settings Brightness & Lock
and choose never and disable Lock.
Install Unity Tweak Tool by running:

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

Run it from the Launcher and select:
System > Security > Enhance system security by disabling Desktop lock

14. Power the Gripper and plug it in

15. Launch the main gripper node

roslaunch reflex reflex_one.launch

16. if everythin is correct you can see the nodes publishing

rostopic echo /reflex_one/hand_state

17. Check tutorials on how to calibrate the hand and move it

https://www.labs.righthandrobotics.com/calibrate-fingers
https://www.labs.righthandrobotics.com/open-close-fingers
https://www.labs.righthandrobotics.com/visualizer
https://www.labs.righthandrobotics.com/writing-scripts

18. For VM only or external computer

If the Ubuntu is installed on a virtual machine then
you need to set a static ip to the machine and enable the
Bridged adapter option in the network tab.
To set a static IP run:

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

And add the following lines to the end of the file:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address <ip>
netmask 255.255.255.0
network <ip>.0

Replace <ip> with the IP address you want. For example 192.168.56.1
Add the same IP to the network but end it with 0. For example 192.168.56.0

Save the file, exit and run the following line:

sudo service network-manager restart

You have to assign the same IP to the computer that will communicate with the external
computer or VM but change the last number. For example 192.168.56.2 or 192.168.56.3, etc.

After assign the same IP to both machines you will be able to ping each machine from the
other machine.
From linux open the terminal and run:
ping <ip>

Replace <ip> with the other machine's IP and if everthing is correct you will see the following lines:

Pinging <ip> with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from <ip>: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=128
Reply from <ip>: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=128
Reply from <ip>: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=128
Reply from <ip>: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for <ip>:
	Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
	Minimum = 2ms, Maximum = 8ms, Average = 4ms

The same thing for Windows. Press WindowsKey + R, type cmd and press OK.
Then in the command prompt type the same command as linux but with the Linux
IP and you should see the same lines.

If the sent and received packets are the same and the loss is at 0%, then the connection is established.

In order to communicate with the VM or the Laptop you must be connected to the same network.

To communicate with the VM/Laptop you have to place all the files inside the Gripper
folder to the VM's/Laptop's desktop. After placing all the files move to the calibration.

##########################################################
######### CALIBRATE THE GRIPPER BEFORE MOVING IT #########
##########################################################
See the following link on how to calibrate the finger:

https://www.labs.righthandrobotics.com/calibrate-fingers

or run the following lines:

cd ~/Desktop
./start.sh

The if everything started run in another terminal:

cd ~/Dekstop
./calibrate.sh

Go back to the first terminal that the ./start.sh command was run
and follow the instruction to calibrate the gripper.
press l or ll and then enter to make the finger loose
or
press t or tt and the enter to make the finger tighter
when finished with a finger press q and move to the next one.
The calibration process stores the home position of the gripper
meaning the {0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0}.

##############################################
####### AFTER CALIBRATION IS COMPLETED #######
##############################################

Open the encryption.py file and replace the following line
in the generate_key function:

password_provided = "root"

with your own password, save the file, exit and run it as:

cd ~/Desktop
python3 encryption.py

If there are no errors then there will be a key.key file in Desktop
and the following lines will be shown in the terminal:

hello
encrypted_hello
decrypted_hello

Do the same with the Laptop that will communicate with the Gripper. Use the same password and generate the same key.key file inside the Gripper folder.

Then open the ros_handler.py file and
go to the end of the file to find the following lines:
. . .
    a = Server('192.168.56.2', 20000, encrypt_flag=True)
    a.listen()
. . .
Replace the Server's IP with the VM's static IP
and run the ros_server.sh file as user and not root as:

cd ~/Desktop
./ros_server.sh

If the roslaunch started correctly then you will have one terminal that says:
ReFlex hand has started, waiting for commands...

and another one saying:
[GRIPPER SERVER]: UDP server up and listening

Then from the Client computer import the Client class from the ros_handler.py file as:

from Gripper.ros_handler import Client

And initialise it with the same IP and port and encrypt_flag option as the VM API.

a = Client('192.168.56.2', 20000, encrypt_flag=True)

Use the following commands to see the list of commands that the API supports and how to use them

a.send('hello')
a.receive()
a.send('help')
a.receive()

To return the msg and store it use:

msg = a.receive(ret=True)

Remember to always start with hello at the start of every command as:

a.send('hello')
a.receive()
a.send('pub')
a.send('pos')
a.send('.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0')

The .sh files can be run directly inside the VM for quick visualization.
For example to open the hand:
./open.sh
To close the hand:
./close.sh
To start the main roslaunch node
./start.sh
To calibrate the hand
./calibrate.sh
To close all terminal windows
./exit.sh
To grasp an object
./grasp.sh
To try a custom position
./position.sh
To see the motor details
./motor.sh
To change the velocity to the maximum
./velocity.sh
To start the rviz visualization
./visualize.sh
To start the server
./ros_server.sh