How-to: Add Sensors to Your Robot

This guide shows you how to integrate sensors like LiDAR, Cameras, and IMUs into your LinkForge robot model for simulation.

Prerequisites

• A robot model with at least one Link created.

1. Prepare the Sensor Link

A sensor in URDF is usually attached to a specific link. You can either attach it to an existing link (like base_link) or create a dedicated small mesh to represent the sensor body.

2. Attaching the Sensor

1. Select the link that should hold the sensor in the 3D Viewport.

2. Open the LinkForge sidebar and navigate to the Perceive panel.

3. Click Create Sensor.

3. Configuration

Once added, you can configure the sensor properties:

• Update Rate: How many times per second the sensor scans (e.g., 30Hz).

• Topic: The ROS topic name where sensor data will be published (e.g., /scan or /camera/image_raw).

• Noise Models: Add Gaussian noise to simulate real-world sensor inaccuracies.

Common Sensor Types:

• LIDAR: Select LIDAR in the dropdown (exports as <gpu_lidar>). Requires <ray> configuration for samples and range.

• Camera: Requires resolution and focal length settings.

• IMU: Provides orientation and acceleration data.

4. Gazebo Integration

LinkForge automatically generates the necessary <gazebo> tags and plugins to execute these sensors in Gazebo Sim or Gazebo Classic.

Note

Sensor origins in LinkForge are relative to the link they are attached to. Ensure your visual mesh in Blender aligns with where you want the “data origin” to be.