Hello ROS and Gazebo Community,
We are pleased to announce the release of GzSensorMonitor, an open-source plugin for Gazebo Harmonic that enables real-time visualization of sensor data directly inside the Gazebo simulation.
In a typical simulation workflow, the robot, its environment, and its sensor data are often inspected through different tools or windows. GzSensorMonitor brings the sensor feedback into the simulation itself by providing a virtual monitor inside the Gazebo world.
The plugin can display live data from different sensors, allowing users to observe what the simulated robot is perceiving while simultaneously viewing the simulated environment.
The current release supports:
- RGB camera feedback
- RGB-D camera feedback
- Depth visualization
- LiDAR feedback
- Runtime switching between sensor modes
- Real-time display updates
For example, a camera mounted on a robot can continuously stream its RGB or RGB-D observation to a monitor placed inside the simulated environment. Similarly, depth and LiDAR data can be visualized directly in Gazebo, making it possible to inspect sensor observations without relying on a separate visualization window.
This can be useful across a wide range of simulation workflows, including robotic perception, autonomous navigation, manipulation, sensor development, environment understanding, and testing of sensor configurations. It also provides a convenient way to demonstrate and validate how simulated sensors respond to changes in the environment in real time.
GzSensorMonitor is developed and tested with:
- Ubuntu 24.04
- ROS 2 Jazzy
- Gazebo Harmonic
The project is available on GitHub:
We welcome feedback, suggestions, and contributions from the ROS and Gazebo community.
Authors:
Aachal Sharma & Rahul Gupta
Both authors contributed equally to the design, development, and implementation of GzSensorMonitor.
