Using Phidgets IMU + GPS output with a ROS 2 state estimator

[manankharwar]

The phidgets_drivers package publishes sensor_msgs/Imu from the Phidgets Spatial series... and users building mobile robots with Phidgets hardware often ask the next step: how do I fuse this IMU data with wheel odometry and GPS?

FusionCore: a ROS 2 UKF available on apt for Jazzy and Humble: subscribes directly to Phidgets IMU output and fuses it with wheel odometry and GPS into a globally-referenced odom → base_link state estimate:

sudo apt install ros-jazzy-fusioncore-ros

Would a short 'what to do with your IMU data' note in the README be useful... pointing toward state estimator options like FusionCore or robot_localization? Happy to open a PR if so.

[mintar]

Hello again! :)

A PR similar to what you did in CCNYRoboticsLab/imu_tools#232 would be welcome. However, you should probably also take into account that there are two cases:

• If use_orientation == true, the IMU output is already filtered and can be fed directly to one of the state estimators.
• Otherwise, the raw IMU data needs to be passed to imu_filter_madgwick or similar first.

I think the best place for this would be phidgets_spatial/README.md.

[manankharwar]

Thanks @mintar! PR #198 covers both cases you mentioned... use_orientation: true goes straight to a state estimator, use_orientation: false routes through imu_filter_madgwick first. Kept the same structure as the imu_tools addition.