lifecycle-nodes

What problem does it solve?

Lifecycle-managed ROS 2 nodes provide deterministic startup and clean shutdown by enforcing state transitions (Unconfigured → Inactive → Active → Finalized) and by separating resource allocation from activation. This guide walks you through implementing both C++ and Python lifecycle nodes with on_configure, on_activate, on_deactivate, on_cleanup, on_shutdown, and on_error transitions to ensure robust bringup and teardown.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Templates and examples for C++ (rclcpp_lifecycle) and Python (rclpy.lifecycle) lifecycle nodes.
• Support for transition callbacks: on_configure, on_activate, on_deactivate, on_cleanup, on_shutdown, on_error.
• CLI and Launch integration examples to trigger and verify transitions.
• Practical guidance for hardware drivers, Nav2 servers, and sensor pipelines requiring deterministic lifecycle behavior.
• Error handling, resource management, and recovery considerations for robust systems.

Quick Start

Create a minimal ROS 2 lifecycle node, implement the four main transitions, and verify the state changes with the ros2 lifecycle CLI.