I’ve been working on a developer-focused URDF validation and analysis API and recently added a browser-based 3D preview layer.
To stress test the pipeline, I used the NASA Robonaut 2 (R2) URDF:
URDF: https://github.com/gkjohnson/nasa-urdf-robots/blob/master/r2_description/robots/r2c6.urdf
Observations
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URDF passed structural validation (100+ joints, consistent hierarchy)
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Kinematic analysis produced expected:
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DOF (~74, computed from non-fixed joints)
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chain depth (~19)
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multiple end effectors (hands, fingers, sensors)
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Tree reconstruction yielded a valid single-root structure (no cycles/orphans)
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Browser preview correctly reflects:
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joint origins (
xyz/rpy) -
parent-child relationships
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joint axis orientation
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Pipeline
Upload → Validate → Analyze → Preview
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No ROS environment required
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No RViz
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Validation on server (file deleted after response)
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3D is client-side only
Motivation
Most URDF tooling focuses on XML/schema validation.
In practice, failures appear later in:
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TF tree inconsistencies
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Incorrect joint transforms
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Misconfigured DOF
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Broken kinematic chains
This tool aims to surface those earlier via:
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structural validation
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kinematic introspection
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immediate visual feedback
Live demo
https://roboinfra-dashboard.azurewebsites.net/validator
Feedback request
Would appreciate input from others working with URDF pipelines, especially around:
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additional validation rules worth enforcing
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kinematic analysis gaps
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CI/CD use cases (pre-merge URDF checks, regression detection)
Live test Screen Shots Below,
