A simple ROS node to fuse different lasercan sources in a single laserscan message in a given frame.

This node is primary inspired by the lasercan_multi_merger node of the ira_laser_tools package. This package includes two tools for laser handling in ROS:

• laserscan_merger
• republish_scans

Laserscan_merger allows to easily and dynamically (rqt_reconfigure) merge multiple, single scanning plane, laser scans into a single one; and therefore, transformed to a given target frame.

republish_scans allows to unify the frequency of publication of multiple lasercan topics. This is done by republishing the scans messages in new topics (with the suffix _throttle) at the indicated frequency.

Both nodes compile under catkin in Melodic/Noetic ROS distros.

• General Parameters

  • cloud_destination_topic. Name of the output topic with the merged laserscans transformed to a pointcloud (Def: /merged_cloud).
  • scan_destination_topic. Name of the output topic with the merged laserscans (Def: /scan_merged).
  • laserscan_topics. String with the names of the input scan topics separated by a blank spaces. (Ex: "/rgbd_scan /scan_raw /rear_scan").
  • destination_frame. Target frame in which all the scans will be transformed.

• laserscan Parameters

The parameters of the output laserscan message. See the message documentation sensor_msgs/LaserScan.

- max_update_time
- angle_min
- angle_max
- angle_increment
- scan_time
- range_min
- range_max

• To all the scan topics indicated in the string laserscan_topics.

• merged_cloud. Pointcloud2 with the points of the merged laserscans. (Topic name can be modified by param).
• scan_merged. Laserscan with the fused laserscans. (Topic name can be modified by param).

• publish_frequency. Frequency (Hz) in which the laserscans will be published.
• scan_topic_X. Name of a input scan topic in which the X must be replaced by the number of input scan (Ex: scan_topic_1, scan_topic_2, scan_topic_3, etc).

• To all the scans topics indicated by the parameters scan_topic_X.

• It publishes the same number of input topics in new topics by adding the suffix _throttle.