feat(controllers)!: remove robot description parameter (#186)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ Release Versions:
 - [2.1.1](#211)
 - [2.1.0](#210)
 
+## Upcoming changes
+
+- feat(controllers)!: remove robot description parameter (#186)
+
 ## 5.4.1
 
 ### April 8th, 2026

README.md

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Modulo
 
+:warning: Modulo is currently undergoing breaking changes and the main branch may not be stable until the next official
+release! :warning:
+
 Modulo is part of the AICA robotics framework.
 
 It is an extension layer to ROS 2 that adds interoperability support for

source/modulo_controllers/README.md

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ parameters, predicates, and services.
 It supports the following parameters:
 
 - `hardware_name` [string]: the name of the hardware interface
-- `robot_description` [string]: the string formatted content of the controller's URDF description
 - `joints` [string_array]: a vector of joint names that the controller will claim
 - `activation_timeout` [double]: the seconds to wait for valid data on state interfaces before activating
 - `input_validity_period` [double]: the maximum age of an input state before discarding it as expired
@@ -43,8 +42,7 @@ joint command or access the joint state using the `set_joint_command()` and `get
 
 ### Robot model and URDF
 
-If a controller needs a robot model, a `robot_model::Model` will be configured from URDF information. To support this,
-the `robot_description` must be specified.
+If a controller needs a robot model, a `robot_model::Model` will be configured from URDF information.
 
 The robot model is used to calculate the CartesianState of a task frame from the JointState using forward kinematics,
 which is available to derived classes using the `get_cartesian_state()` method.

source/modulo_controllers/controller_descriptions/modulo_controllers_controller_interface.json

@@ -26,15 +26,6 @@
       "optional": true,
       "internal": true
     },
-    {
-      "display_name": "Robot description",
-      "description": "The string formatted content of the controller's URDF description",
-      "parameter_name": "robot_description",
-      "parameter_type": "string",
-      "default_value": null,
-      "optional": true,
-      "internal": true
-    },
     {
       "display_name": "Activation timeout",
       "description": "The seconds to wait for valid data on the state interfaces before activating (in seconds)",

source/modulo_controllers/src/ControllerInterface.cpp

@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ rclcpp_lifecycle::node_interfaces::LifecycleNodeInterface::CallbackReturn Contro
 
   try {
     add_parameter(std::make_shared<Parameter<std::string>>("hardware_name"), "The name of the hardware interface");
-    add_parameter(
-        std::make_shared<Parameter<std::string>>("robot_description"),
-        "The string formatted content of the controller's URDF description");
     add_parameter(
         std::make_shared<Parameter<std::vector<std::string>>>("joints"),
         "A vector of joint names that the controller will claim");

source/modulo_controllers/src/RobotControllerInterface.cpp

@@ -57,27 +57,25 @@ rclcpp_lifecycle::node_interfaces::LifecycleNodeInterface::CallbackReturn RobotC
 }
 
 rclcpp_lifecycle::node_interfaces::LifecycleNodeInterface::CallbackReturn RobotControllerInterface::on_configure() {
-  if (*get_parameter("robot_description")) {
-    std::stringstream timestamp;
-    timestamp << std::time(nullptr);
-    auto urdf_path = "/tmp/" + hardware_name_ + "_" + timestamp.str();
-    try {
-      robot_model::Model::create_urdf_from_string(get_parameter_value<std::string>("robot_description"), urdf_path);
-      if (load_geometries_) {
-        robot_ = std::make_shared<robot_model::Model>(hardware_name_, urdf_path, [](const std::string& package_name) {
-          return ament_index_cpp::get_package_share_directory(package_name) + "/";
-        });
-        RCLCPP_DEBUG(get_node()->get_logger(), "Generated robot model with collision features");
-      } else {
-        robot_ = std::make_shared<robot_model::Model>(hardware_name_, urdf_path);
-        RCLCPP_DEBUG(get_node()->get_logger(), "Generated robot model");
-      }
-    } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
-      RCLCPP_WARN(
-          get_node()->get_logger(),
-          "Could not generate robot model with temporary urdf from string content at path %s: %s", urdf_path.c_str(),
-          ex.what());
+  std::stringstream timestamp;
+  timestamp << std::time(nullptr);
+  auto urdf_path = "/tmp/" + hardware_name_ + "_" + timestamp.str();
+  try {
+    robot_model::Model::create_urdf_from_string(get_robot_description(), urdf_path);
+    if (load_geometries_) {
+      robot_ = std::make_shared<robot_model::Model>(hardware_name_, urdf_path, [](const std::string& package_name) {
+        return ament_index_cpp::get_package_share_directory(package_name) + "/";
+      });
+      RCLCPP_DEBUG(get_node()->get_logger(), "Generated robot model with collision features");
+    } else {
+      robot_ = std::make_shared<robot_model::Model>(hardware_name_, urdf_path);
+      RCLCPP_DEBUG(get_node()->get_logger(), "Generated robot model");
     }
+  } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
+    RCLCPP_WARN(
+        get_node()->get_logger(),
+        "Could not generate robot model with temporary urdf from string content at path %s: %s", urdf_path.c_str(),
+        ex.what());
   }
   if (robot_model_required_ && robot_ == nullptr) {
     RCLCPP_ERROR(get_node()->get_logger(), "Robot model is not available even though it's required by the controller.");