目前有6种插件类型：

• World
• Model
• Sensor
• System
• Visual
• GUI

可通过URDF文件引用类型：

• ModelPlugins, 提供对 physics::Model API访问，传送门
• SensorPlugins, 提供对 sensors::Sensor API访问，传送门
• VisualPlugins, 提供对 rendering::Visual API访问，传送门

用于指示传递gazebo的信息

<robot>   ... robot description ...   <gazebo>     <plugin name="differential_drive_controller" filename="libdiffdrive_plugin.so">       ... plugin parameters ...     </plugin>   </gazebo>   ... robot description ... </robot> 

连接到link

<robot>   ... robot description ...   <link name="sensor_link">     ... link description ...   </link>    <gazebo reference="/span>sensor_link"> <sensor type="camera" name="camera1"> ... sensor parameters ... <plugin name="camera_controller" filename="libgazebo_ros_camera.so"> ... plugin parameters .. </plugin> </sensor> </gazebo> </robot> 

同步多个相机的快门，以便它们将图像一起发布。通常用于立体摄像机，使用与纯Camera插件非常相似的界面。

---

注意：目前仅支持stereo cameras

以Atlas的双目相机为例：

  <gazebo reference="left_camera_frame">
    <sensor type="multicamera" name="stereo_camera">
      <update_rate>30.0</update_rate>
      <camera name="left">
        <horizontal_fov>1.3962634</horizontal_fov>
        <image>
          <width>800</width>
          <height>800</height>
          <format>R8G8B8</format>
        </image>
        <clip>
          <near>0.02</near>
          <far>300</far>
        </clip>
        <noise>
          <type>gaussian</type>
          <mean>0.0</mean>
          <stddev>0.007</stddev>
        </noise>
      </camera>
      <camera name="right">
        <pose>0 -0.07 0 0 0 0</pose>
        <horizontal_fov>1.3962634</horizontal_fov>
        <image>
          <width>800</width>
          <height>800</height>
          <format>R8G8B8</format>
        </image>
        <clip>
          <near>0.02</near>
          <far>300</far>
        </clip>
        <noise>
          <type>gaussian</type>
          <mean>0.0</mean>
          <stddev>0.007</stddev>
        </noise>
      </camera>
      <plugin name="stereo_camera_controller" filename="libgazebo_ros_multicamera.so">
        <alwaysOn>true</alwaysOn>
        <updateRate>0.0</updateRate>
        <cameraName>multisense_sl/camera</cameraName>
        <imageTopicName>image_raw</imageTopicName>
        <cameraInfoTopicName>camera_info</cameraInfoTopicName>
        <frameName>left_camera_optical_frame</frameName>
        <!--<rightFrameName>right_camera_optical_frame</rightFrameName>-->
        <hackBaseline>0.07</hackBaseline>
        <distortionK1>0.0</distortionK1>
        <distortionK2>0.0</distortionK2>
        <distortionK3>0.0</distortionK3>
        <distortionT1>0.0</distortionT1>
        <distortionT2>0.0</distortionT2>
      </plugin>
    </sensor>
  </gazebo>

以Kinect为例：

<gazebo reference="${link_name}">
  <sensor name="${link_name}_camera" type="depth">
    <update_rate>20</update_rate>
    <camera>
      <horizontal_fov>1.047198</horizontal_fov>
      <image>
        <width>640</width>
        <height>480</height>
        <format>R8G8B8</format>
      </image>
      <clip>
        <near>0.05</near>
        <far>3</far>
      </clip>
    </camera>
    <plugin name="${link_name}_controller" filename="libgazebo_ros_openni_kinect.so">
      <baseline>0.2</baseline>
      <alwaysOn>true</alwaysOn>
      <updateRate>1.0</updateRate>
      <cameraName>${camera_name}_ir</cameraName>
      <imageTopicName>/${camera_name}/color/image_raw</imageTopicName>
      <cameraInfoTopicName>/${camera_name}/color/camera_info</cameraInfoTopicName>
      <depthImageTopicName>/${camera_name}/depth/image_raw</depthImageTopicName>
      <depthImageInfoTopicName>/${camera_name}/depth/camera_info</depthImageInfoTopicName>
      <pointCloudTopicName>/${camera_name}/depth/points</pointCloudTopicName>
      <frameName>${frame_name}</frameName>
      <pointCloudCutoff>0.5</pointCloudCutoff>
      <pointCloudCutoffMax>3.0</pointCloudCutoffMax>
      <distortionK1>0.00000001</distortionK1>
      <distortionK2>0.00000001</distortionK2>
      <distortionK3>0.00000001</distortionK3>
      <distortionT1>0.00000001</distortionT1>
      <distortionT2>0.00000001</distortionT2>
      <CxPrime>0</CxPrime>
      <Cx>0</Cx>
      <Cy>0</Cy>
      <focalLength>0</focalLength>
      <hackBaseline>0</hackBaseline>
    </plugin>
  </sensor>
</gazebo>

关于配置深度相机的更详细说明参见：传送门

如sensor_msgs中所述，通过广播LaserScan消息来模拟激光测距传感器，参考https://wiki.ros.org/hokuyo_node