RAVEN-II AMBF CRTK Framework

A framework for integrating the AMBF (Asynchronous Multi-Body Framework) RAVEN-II surgical robot with CRTK API support to simulate real RAVEN-II behavior with 1000Hz control execution and publishing the RAVEN State topic.

⚠ Note: Currently, this framework only supports the left arm of RAVEN-II (GOLD arm).

Flowchart

1. Installation & Setup

Step 1: Setup RAVEN-II Package

Ensure that you have the RAVEN-II Package installed and running on your system.

Step 2: Setup AMBF Simulator

Ensure that you have the AMBF simulator installed and running on your system.

Step 3: Clone the RAVEN-II AMBF CRTK Framework

Open a terminal and run the following command:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/lbyng/raven2-ambf-crtk.git

Step 4: Replace the RAVEN-II Model in AMBF

To ensure the base-link of RAVEN-II is parallel to the ground, replace the RAVEN-II model in the AMBF with the model provided in this repository. For example, if your AMBF model path is:

~/ambf/ambf_models/meshes/blender_afmb/raven_2

Then copy the model files from the repository into that folder:

cp -r ~/raven2-ambf-crtk/raven_models/* ~/ambf/ambf_models/meshes/blender_afmb/raven_2/

Step 5: Run AMBF RAVEN-II

Launch the AMBF simulator with the updated RAVEN-II model by executing:

~/ambf/bin/lin-x86_64/ambf_simulator -a "/home/sean/ambf/ambf_models/meshes/blender_afmb/raven_2/raven_straight.yaml"

If everything is set up correctly, you should see the AMBF RAVEN-II running.

Step 6: Add an Alias for Convenience (Optional)

To simplify launching the simulator, add an alias in your .bashrc file:

# Open ~/.bashrc in a text editor
nano ~/.bashrc  

# Add the following alias at the end of the file:
alias ambf-raven2="~/ambf/bin/lin-x86_64/ambf_simulator -a '/home/sean/ambf/ambf_models/meshes/blender_afmb/raven_2/raven_straight.yaml'"

# Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter)

Reload the .bashrc file to apply changes:

source ~/.bashrc

Now, you can start AMBF RAVEN-II anytime by simply typing:

ambf-raven2

Step 7: Run the RAVEN-II AMBF CRTK Framework

Once AMBF is running, start the RAVEN-II framework by executing:

python3 ~/raven2-ambf-crtk/main.py

At this point, the AMBF RAVEN-II should be running as if it were a real RAVEN-II robot.

2. Keyboard Controller

You can control the RAVEN-II arm using a keyboard. Follow these steps:

Start AMBF RAVEN-II and the Framework

First, ensure that AMBF is running:

ambf-raven2

Then, launch the RAVEN-II AMBF CRTK Framework:

python3 ~/raven2-ambf-crtk/main.py

Run the Keyboard Controller

Now, start the keyboard control interface:

python3 ~/raven2-ambf-crtk/keyboard_controller.py

Notes:

• The current version only allows one key input at a time for stability.

• To modify velocity settings, edit the file:

  ~/raven2-ambf-crtk/keyboard_controller.py

  At the beginning of this script, you can adjust the velocity variables for each joint.

📢 Contact

For any questions or discussions, reach out via GitHub Issues or email the maintainers.