Get URDF Files

Create or Collect URDF Files

The Unified Robot Description Format (URDF) is an open standard used in ROS to describe a robot’s collision geometry, kinematics, and visual appearance. Creating or obtaining a URDF is the first required step when building a robot for simulation, planning, or control.

Locate COTS URDF

If you are using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, URDF files often already exist and can save significant setup time. In a later guide, we will cover how to combine separate URDFs for your robot arm, gripper, cameras, and/or mobile base into a single robot description. While ROS 2 introduced changes to how packages are structured, the URDF file format itself remains unchanged from ROS 1, making many existing URDFs reusable. PickNik maintains a public directory of commercial hardware with ROS 2 URDFs and driver support at https://picknik.ai/hardware-ecosystem/.

Export Custom CAD Model To URDF

If you are designing custom hardware, most modern CAD tools provide plugins or workflows for exporting URDF files directly from your CAD model. The ROS documentation provides detailed guidance on supported exporters and best practices at https://docs.ros.org/en/rolling/Tutorials/Intermediate/URDF/Exporting-an-URDF-File.html. In most cases, these exporters produce a single URDF file that represents the full structure of your robot.