This repository provides unofficial URDF description files and meshes for the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) surgical robots.
Compared with the official dVRK description package:
- It contains URDF files only, without ROS launch files or RViz configurations.
- It offers more realistic visuals (especially for the Classic generation, thanks to the high‑poly meshes from the dvrk_env repository), including improved colors and simulated parallel linkages via mimic joints.
- It is REP‑103 compliant.
- It fixes several issues present in the official description, including misalgned meshes and incorrect tool names.
Warning
Kinematics and dynamics parameters in this package are guesstimated and may not be accurate (especially inertials). Use at your own discretion!
This package includes different arms of the dVRK system, both Classic and Si generations:
- ECM: Endoscopic Camera Manipulator
- PSM: Patient Side Manipulator
- SUJ: Setup Joints
- MTM: Master Tele Manipulator (Classic only; Si uses the same as Classic)
Note that for the Si generation, only low-poly meshes are available for the time being.
| ECM | PSM | SUJ | MTM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic |  |
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| Si |  |
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This package includes several surgical tools for mounting on the PSM.
For the Classic generation, available tools include:
- 8mm Small Clip Applier
- 8mm Cadiere Forceps
- 5mm Round Tip Scissors
For the Si generation, only one tool is available so far:
- 8mm Large Needle Driver
| 8mm Small Clip Applier - Classic | 8mm Cadiere Forceps - Classic | 5mm Round Tip Scissors - Classic | 8mm Large Needle Driver - Si |
|---|---|---|---|
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This package follows the REP-103 convention. Coordinate frames are right‑handed, with the following orientations:
- Base frame: X forward, Y left, Z up
- End‑effector frame: Z forward, X right, Y down
For RCM frame, its orientation matches that of the base frame. See the reference image below:
All joint axes—revolute and prismatic—are aligned with the Z‑axis. The positive direction corresponds to positive rotation following the right‑hand rule or positive translation along the Z‑axis.
The core of this package consists of xacro macros located in the urdf/include directory. These macros can be composed to generate complete robot description files.
- For the Classic generation, the macros are defined in
classic/{ecm,mtm,psm,suj,tool}.macro.xacro. - For the Si generation, the macros are defined in
si/{ecm,psm,suj,tool}.macro.xacro.
The urdf/examples directory contains example xacro files demonstrating how to assemble the macros into full robot descriptions.
It is recommended to browse the examples first to understand how the macros are used. To create your custom robot description file, follow these steps:
- Compose your robot description xacro file using the macros provided in this package.
- "Compile" your xacro file into a plain URDF. This can be done using the xacro CLI from ROS:
or with any other xacro processor, such as xacrodoc:
xacro your_robot.urdf.xacro > your_robot.urdfxacrodoc your_robot.urdf.xacro -o your_robot.urdf
You can then use the generated URDF file in your applications.
Important
If you want to convert URDF to USD for use in Isaac Lab, please ensure that the merge_fixed_joints option is turned off. Otherwise, virtual links in the URDF, such as RCM frames and end-effector frames, will be excluded from the generated USD.
This package incorporates resources from the following repositories:
- dvrk_model by the Johns Hopkins University dVRK team.
- dvrk_env by the WPI-AIM lab.
In this README, the URDF is visualized using Viser.
This package is released under the MIT License.