Gazebo MCP Server

# ROS2 Gazebo MCP Server - Implementation Plan > **IMPORTANT**: This is a living document. Update progress as you complete tasks. Use checkboxes to track completion. **Project Start**: 2024-11-16 | **Current Phase**: Phase 1 ✅ | **Status**: 🟢 On Track --- ## 🚀 ACCELERATION OPPORTUNITY (NEW - 2025-11-16) **Comprehensive plan analysis completed** using available agents, skills, and best practices: 📄 **[Implementation Improvements](docs/IMPLEMENTATION_IMPROVEMENTS.md)** - **READ THIS FIRST!** - 15+ integration opportunities identified - 40-60% time reduction (3-4 weeks → 1.5-2 weeks) - 98.7% token savings through ResultFilter (CRITICAL - currently missing!) - Leverage existing MCP infrastructure from claude/mcp/ 📄 **[Quick Start Guide](docs/QUICK_START_IMPROVEMENTS.md)** - **Start here for immediate impact** - 2-3 hours for maximum impact - Copy-paste ready code for critical improvements - Step-by-step integration with existing infrastructure **Key Findings:** - ✅ Existing MCP server can be adapted (save 2-3 days on Phase 2) - ✅ Sandboxed executor ready to use (security + 84% fewer permission prompts) - 🚨 **CRITICAL:** ResultFilter integration missing (this is the core MCP value!) - ✅ Automation skills available (mcp_adapter_creator, mcp_schema_generator) - ✅ Existing Gazebo skills may exist (could save 5-7 days on Phase 4) **Recommended Action:** Read the improvement docs before continuing with Phase 2. --- ## At a Glance | Phase | Status | Progress | Duration | |-------|--------|----------|----------| | 1: Setup & Architecture | ✅ Complete | 100% | ~3 hours | | 2: Core Infrastructure | 🔵 Not Started | 0% | 2-3 days | | 3: Gazebo Control | 🔵 Not Started | 0% | 5-7 days | | 4: World Generation | 🟡 Partially Complete | 40% | 2-3 days remaining | | 5A: High-Priority Enhancements | ✅ Complete | 100% | 3-4 days | | 5B: Medium-Priority Enhancements | ✅ Complete | 100% | ~2 hours | | 6: Testing & Documentation | 🔵 Not Started | 0% | 3-4 days | **Total Estimated Time**: 3-4 weeks (with optional enhancements: +1 week) --- ## Phase Documents (Progressive Disclosure) **CRITICAL**: Read phase documents sequentially. Each builds on the previous phase. ### Implementation Guides - **[Phase 1: Setup](docs/implementation/PHASE_1_SETUP.md)** ✅ Complete - **[Phase 2: Infrastructure](docs/implementation/PHASE_2_INFRASTRUCTURE.md)** ← Start here next - **[Phase 3: Control Tools](docs/implementation/PHASE_3_CONTROL.md)** - **[Phase 4: World Generation](docs/implementation/PHASE_4_WORLD_GEN.md)** 🟡 Partial - **[Phase 5A: High-Priority Enhancements](docs/implementation/PHASE_5_OPTIONAL_ENHANCEMENTS.md)** ✅ Complete - **[Phase 5B: Medium-Priority Enhancements](docs/PHASE5B_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md)** 🔵 Ready - **[Phase 6: Testing](docs/implementation/PHASE_5_TESTING.md)** ### Quick Reference Each phase document contains: 1. **Overview** - What you'll build 2. **Tasks** - Detailed checklist with code examples 3. **Success Criteria** - How to verify completion 4. **Next Steps** - How to proceed --- ## Current Phase: Phase 1 ✅ COMPLETE **Completed**: 2024-11-16 | **Time**: ~3 hours | **Files Created**: 10 See [PHASE_1_SETUP.md](docs/implementation/PHASE_1_SETUP.md) for details. --- ## Next Phase: Phase 2 - Core Infrastructure > **IMPORTANT**: Before starting Phase 2, ensure: > - ✅ ROS2 Humble or Jazzy installed > - ✅ Gazebo Harmonic or Garden installed > - ✅ Phase 1 files exist and are committed ### What You'll Build Core MCP server and ROS2 bridge infrastructure that enables AI assistants to communicate with Gazebo. ### High-Level Tasks (0/15 Complete) **Module 2.1: Base Utilities** (5 tasks) - Exception handling classes - Structured logging system - Input validators (coordinates, model names) - Message converters (ROS2 ↔ Python) - Geometry utilities (quaternions, transformations) **Module 2.2: Connection Manager** (5 tasks) - ROS2 node lifecycle management - Connection state tracking - Auto-reconnect with backoff - Health monitoring - Error recovery **Module 2.3: MCP Server** (5 tasks) - Server initialization/shutdown - Tool registration system - Request validation - Response formatting - Health check endpoints ### Success Criteria (Verify Before Proceeding) **CRITICAL**: All must pass before moving to Phase 3: - [ ] `python -m gazebo_mcp.server` starts without errors - [ ] ROS2 node connects: `ros2 node list` shows `gazebo_mcp_bridge` - [ ] Health check returns status: Test with MCP client - [ ] Connection survives ROS2 restart - [ ] Unit tests pass: `pytest tests/ -v --cov=gazebo_mcp` ### Detailed Instructions See **[PHASE_2_INFRASTRUCTURE.md](docs/implementation/PHASE_2_INFRASTRUCTURE.md)** for: - Step-by-step implementation guide - Code examples for each task - Testing requirements - Configuration files --- ## Upcoming Phases ### Phase 3: Gazebo Connection & Control Tools (Est. 5-7 days) **Key Deliverables:** - Simulation control tools (start, stop, pause, reset) - Model management tools (spawn, delete, list) - Sensor integration (camera, lidar, IMU, GPS) - Controller integration (velocity commands, joint control) - TurtleBot3-specific tools **Tasks**: 30 tasks across 4 modules ### Phase 4: World Generation & Manipulation (Est. 2-3 days remaining) 🟡 **Status**: 40% Complete - Core generation functions implemented **Completed Deliverables:** - ✅ Random obstacle course generation (with seed support) - ✅ Material property system (6 materials) - ✅ Heightmap terrain generation (6 patterns) - ✅ Day/night cycle calculations (6 lighting presets) - ✅ Comprehensive test suite (61 passing tests) **Remaining Work:** - ❌ World file management (create_empty_world, load_world, save_world) - ❌ Static object placement tools (place_box, place_sphere, place_cylinder) - ❌ Live world updates (apply_force, apply_torque, set_wind) - ❌ Gazebo integration for lighting control - ❌ Surface type application to running simulation **Tasks**: 10 of 36 tasks complete (28%) ### Phase 5: Optional Enhancements (Est. 3-4 days) 🟢 **Status**: ✅ **BOTH Phase 5A and 5B Complete!** (218/218 tests passing) **Phase 5A Complete (HIGH PRIORITY):** ✅ - ✅ Extended materials (15+ materials with rolling friction, wetness) - ✅ Benchmark worlds (reproducible with seeds) - ✅ Metadata export for research - ✅ Fog system (atmospheric effects) - ✅ Advanced wind (turbulence and gusts) **Phase 5B Complete (MEDIUM PRIORITY):** ✅ - ✅ Advanced obstacle patterns (maze, grid, circular, difficulty) - ✅ Shadow quality controls (4 presets: low/medium/high/ultra) - ✅ Volumetric lighting (god rays, fog effects for spot/directional lights) - ✅ Animation system (linear_path, circular, oscillating + 3 loop modes) - ✅ Trigger zones (box, sphere, cylinder with event system) **Detailed Plans**: - [PHASE5B_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md](docs/PHASE5B_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md) - [Phase 5A features in PHASE_5_OPTIONAL_ENHANCEMENTS.md](docs/implementation/PHASE_5_OPTIONAL_ENHANCEMENTS.md) **Tasks**: ✅ All Phase 5A and 5B features complete with full test coverage ### Phase 6: Testing, Documentation & Examples (Est. 3-4 days) **Key Deliverables:** - Unit test suite (>80% coverage) - Integration tests with live Gazebo - Example workflows (6+ scenarios) - API documentation - Performance optimization **Tasks**: 20 tasks across 5 categories --- ## Overall Progress Tracking ### Milestones - [x] **M1**: Project Setup Complete (2024-11-16) - [ ] **M2**: MCP Server Running - [ ] **M3**: Basic Simulation Control Working - [ ] **M4**: TurtleBot3 Spawn & Control - [x] **M5**: World Generation Core Functions (2024-11-17) - Obstacle course, materials, lighting, terrain - [ ] **M6**: World Generation Complete - Gazebo integration - [ ] **M7**: All Tests Passing - [ ] **M8**: Documentation Complete - [ ] **M9**: Ready for Production ### File Completion Tracker #### Core Files (0/8) - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/server.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/bridge/gazebo_bridge_node.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/bridge/connection_manager.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/utils/logger.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/utils/exceptions.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/utils/validators.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/utils/converters.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/utils/geometry.py` #### Tool Files (1/7) - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/simulation_control.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/model_management.py` - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/sensor_tools.py` - [x] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/world_generation.py` ✅ **PARTIAL** (736 lines, 4 core functions) - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/lighting_tools.py` (integrated into world_generation.py) - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/terrain_tools.py` (integrated into world_generation.py) - [ ] `src/gazebo_mcp/tools/live_update_tools.py` #### Configuration Files (0/4) - [ ] `config/server_config.yaml` - [ ] `config/ros2_config.yaml` - [ ] `config/gazebo_config.yaml` - [ ] `config/models/turtlebot3_models.yaml` #### Test Files (2/8) - [ ] `tests/test_server.py` - [ ] `tests/test_bridge_node.py` - [ ] `tests/test_connection_manager.py` - [ ] `tests/test_simulation_control.py` - [ ] `tests/test_model_management.py` - [ ] `tests/test_sensor_tools.py` - [x] `tests/unit/test_world_generation.py` ✅ **COMPLETE** (135 tests - Phase 5A) - [x] `tests/unit/test_world_generation_phase5b.py` ✅ **COMPLETE** (83 tests - Phase 5B) - [ ] `tests/test_integration.py` #### Example Files (2/7) - [ ] `examples/01_basic_simulation.py` - [ ] `examples/02_turtlebot3_spawn.py` - [ ] `examples/03_obstacle_course.py` - [ ] `examples/04_multi_terrain.py` - [ ] `examples/05_day_night_cycle.py` - [ ] `examples/06_live_updates.py` - [x] `examples/07_phase5a_features.py` ✅ **COMPLETE** - Phase 5A demos - [x] `examples/08_phase5b_features.py` ✅ **COMPLETE** - Phase 5B demos --- ## Development Workflow (Follow This Pattern) ### Core Feedback Loop: Gather → Act → Verify → Repeat **IMPORTANT**: Follow this pattern for every task: 1. **Gather Context** - Read relevant phase document section - Review existing code patterns (if any) - Check related tests and documentation - Understand integration points 2. **Act (Implement)** - Write tests FIRST (TDD approach) - Implement the feature/fix - Follow existing code patterns - Add type hints and docstrings 3. **Verify (Critical Step)** - Run tests: `pytest tests/test_*.py -v` - Check type hints: `mypy src/` - Lint code: `ruff check src/ && black src/` - Manual testing (if applicable) - Update checklist in this plan 4. **Repeat** - If verification fails, iterate - Once passing, commit and move to next task - Don't skip verification steps! ### Code Quality Standards (Non-Negotiable) **CRITICAL**: All code must meet these standards before committing: - ✅ **Type Hints**: Every function has full type annotations - ✅ **Docstrings**: All public functions/classes documented - ✅ **Tests**: >80% coverage, all tests passing - ✅ **Linting**: Passes `ruff` and `black` checks - ✅ **Type Checking**: Passes `mypy` validation ### Git Workflow **Branch Naming**: ```bash feature/phase2-connection-manager fix/ros2-node-initialization test/sensor-data-parsers ``` **Commit Format**: ``` <type>(<scope>): <subject> <optional body explaining why, not what> <optional footer> ``` **Types**: feat, fix, docs, test, refactor, chore **Examples**: ``` feat(server): implement MCP server initialization - Add Server class with start/stop methods - Integrate with ConnectionManager - Add health check endpoint test(bridge): add connection manager tests docs(phase2): mark utilities module complete ``` --- ## Risk Register | Risk | Impact | Probability | Mitigation | |------|--------|-------------|------------| | ROS2/Gazebo compatibility issues | High | Medium | Test with multiple ROS2/Gazebo versions early | | MCP protocol changes | Medium | Low | Pin MCP SDK version, monitor updates | | Performance bottlenecks | Medium | Medium | Profile early, optimize critical paths | | TurtleBot3 model unavailability | Low | Low | Bundle models or provide download scripts | --- ## Notes & Decisions ### 2024-11-16 - ✅ Phase 1 complete - project structure established - ✅ Reorganized into `ros2_gazebo_mcp/` dedicated folder - 📝 Decision: Target ROS2 Humble (LTS) as primary platform - 📝 Decision: Target Gazebo Harmonic over legacy Gazebo 11 - 📝 Decision: Python 3.10+ for modern type hints and performance ### 2024-11-17 - ✅ Phase 4 core functions implemented (obstacle course, materials, lighting, terrain) - ✅ 61 unit tests passing for world generation - 📝 Decision: Combined world_generation.py, lighting_tools.py, and terrain_tools.py into single file - 📝 Status: Phase 4 ~40% complete, requires Gazebo bridge integration for remaining features ### 2025-11-19 - ✅ Phase 5B complete - all 5 features implemented - ✅ 83 new unit tests passing (218 total tests) - ✅ Full backward compatibility with Phase 5A maintained - 📝 Features: Advanced obstacle patterns, shadow quality, volumetric lighting, animation system, trigger zones - 📝 Time: ~2 hours implementation time - 📝 Code: ~800 lines of production code added to world_generation.py ### Future Decisions Needed - [ ] Choose between stdio and HTTP for MCP transport (or support both?) - [ ] Decide on caching strategy for world state - [ ] Select authentication mechanism (if needed) - [ ] Determine rate limiting strategy --- ## Resources ### Documentation - [MCP Protocol Spec](https://github.com/anthropics/mcp) - [ROS2 Humble Docs](https://docs.ros.org/en/humble/) - [Gazebo Docs](https://gazebosim.org/docs) - [TurtleBot3 Manual](https://emanual.robotis.com/docs/en/platform/turtlebot3/) ### Tools - **Development**: VS Code, PyCharm, Neovim - **Testing**: pytest, pytest-asyncio, pytest-cov - **Profiling**: cProfile, py-spy - **Documentation**: Sphinx, MkDocs --- ## How to Use This Plan ### Starting a New Task 1. **Read** the phase document section thoroughly 2. **Understand** what needs to be built and why 3. **Check** the code example (if provided) 4. **Implement** following the Gather→Act→Verify loop 5. **Mark complete**: Change `[ ]` to `[x]` in checklist 6. **Update** progress percentage 7. **Commit** with clear message ### Completing a Phase **IMPORTANT**: Don't rush to next phase. Verify everything works! 1. **Verify** all success criteria pass 2. **Run** full test suite for the phase 3. **Update** this plan: - Mark phase complete in "At a Glance" table - Update milestone tracker - Add completion date 4. **Commit**: `docs(plan): complete Phase N` 5. **Review** next phase document before starting ### When Stuck or Encountering Issues 1. **Document** the issue in "Notes & Decisions" section 2. **Add** to Risk Register if significant 3. **Consider**: - Is this a missing context issue? → Read more docs - Is this a tool/library issue? → Check dependencies - Is this a design issue? → Revisit architecture 4. **Don't** skip verification steps to "make progress" 5. **Ask** for help or clarification if needed ### Best Practices **DO** ✅: - Read phase documents completely before coding - Write tests before implementation (TDD) - Verify each task before moving to next - Commit frequently with clear messages - Update this plan as you progress - Take breaks between phases to review **DON'T** ❌: - Skip ahead to "interesting" parts - Write code without tests - Commit without running verification - Let tasks pile up unmarked - Ignore failing tests - Rush through verification --- **Last Updated**: 2024-11-16 **Next Review**: Start of Phase 2 **Maintained By**: Development Team