Gazebo crashing when spawning URDF with hebiros_gazebo_plugin

[RBinsonB]

I can't manage to spawn an URDF model containing the hebiros_gazebo_plugin without having Gazebo crashing. I'm running ROS Kinetic on Ubuntu 16.04 with Gazebo 7.16.0.

I first had this problem while trying to launch the x_demo example:
roslaunch hebiros_advanced_examples x_demo_gazebo_setup.launch
I get the following error:

... logging to /home/robin/.ros/log/0496bce0-06e9-11ea-a038-f48e3876bc15/roslaunch-robin-OptiPlex-7040-11574.log
Checking log directory for disk usage. This may take awhile.
Press Ctrl-C to interrupt
Done checking log file disk usage. Usage is <1GB.

... loading XML file [/opt/ros/kinetic/etc/ros/roscore.xml]
... executing command param [rosversion roslaunch]
Added parameter [/rosversion]
... executing command param [rosversion -d]
Added parameter [/rosdistro]
Added core node of type [rosout/rosout] in namespace [/]
... loading XML file [/home/robin/catkin_ws/src/hebiros/hebiros_advanced_examples/launch/gazebo/x_demo_gazebo_setup.launch]
... loading XML file [/opt/ros/kinetic/share/gazebo_ros/launch/empty_world.launch]
Added parameter [/use_sim_time]
Added node of type [gazebo_ros/gzserver] in namespace [/]
Added node of type [gazebo_ros/gzclient] in namespace [/]
... done importing include file [/opt/ros/kinetic/share/gazebo_ros/launch/empty_world.launch]
Added node of type [gazebo_ros/spawn_model] in namespace [/]
started roslaunch server http://robin-OptiPlex-7040:33075/

SUMMARY
========

PARAMETERS
 * /rosdistro: kinetic
 * /rosversion: 1.12.14
 * /use_sim_time: True

NODES
  /
    gazebo (gazebo_ros/gzserver)
    gazebo_gui (gazebo_ros/gzclient)
    spawn_urdf (gazebo_ros/spawn_model)

auto-starting new master
process[master]: started with pid [11584]
ROS_MASTER_URI=http://localhost:11311

setting /run_id to 0496bce0-06e9-11ea-a038-f48e3876bc15
process[rosout-1]: started with pid [11597]
started core service [/rosout]
process[gazebo-2]: started with pid [11604]
process[gazebo_gui-3]: started with pid [11619]
process[spawn_urdf-4]: started with pid [11631]
[ INFO] [1573740847.051219953]: Finished loading Gazebo ROS API Plugin.
[ INFO] [1573740847.051781299]: waitForService: Service [/gazebo/set_physics_properties] has not been advertised, waiting...
[ INFO] [1573740847.073113162]: Finished loading Gazebo ROS API Plugin.
[ INFO] [1573740847.073905238]: waitForService: Service [/gazebo/set_physics_properties] has not been advertised, waiting...
SpawnModel script started
[INFO] [1573740847.340743, 0.000000]: Loading model XML from file
[INFO] [1573740847.340974, 0.000000]: Waiting for service /gazebo/spawn_urdf_model
[ INFO] [1573740847.724384917, 0.022000000]: waitForService: Service [/gazebo/set_physics_properties] is now available.
[ INFO] [1573740847.745884264, 0.043000000]: Physics dynamic reconfigure ready.
[ INFO] [1573740847.921083017, 0.212000000]: waitForService: Service [/gazebo/set_physics_properties] is now available.
[INFO] [1573740847.945296, 0.236000]: Calling service /gazebo/spawn_urdf_model
[ INFO] [1573740848.148520567, 0.361000000]: <robotNamespace> set to: //
[ INFO] [1573740848.148554308, 0.361000000]: <topicName> set to: ///hebiros_gazebo_plugin/imu/HEBI/base
[ INFO] [1573740848.148563945, 0.361000000]: <frameName> set to: HEBI/base/imu_link
[ INFO] [1573740848.148583382, 0.361000000]: <updateRateHZ> set to: 10
[ INFO] [1573740848.148599932, 0.361000000]: <gaussianNoise> set to: 0
[ INFO] [1573740848.148619050, 0.361000000]: <xyzOffset> set to: 0.025 0 0.003
[ INFO] [1573740848.148656798, 0.361000000]: <rpyOffset> set to: 0 -0 0
[ INFO] [1573740848.150661796, 0.361000000]: <robotNamespace> set to: //
[ INFO] [1573740848.150687944, 0.361000000]: <topicName> set to: ///hebiros_gazebo_plugin/imu/HEBI/shoulder
[ INFO] [1573740848.150708694, 0.361000000]: <frameName> set to: HEBI/shoulder/imu_link
[ INFO] [1573740848.150733007, 0.361000000]: <updateRateHZ> set to: 10
[ INFO] [1573740848.150753308, 0.361000000]: <gaussianNoise> set to: 0
[ INFO] [1573740848.150780381, 0.361000000]: <xyzOffset> set to: 0.025 0 0.003
[ INFO] [1573740848.150804387, 0.361000000]: <rpyOffset> set to: 0 -0 0
[ INFO] [1573740848.153180389, 0.361000000]: <robotNamespace> set to: //
[ INFO] [1573740848.153213539, 0.361000000]: <topicName> set to: ///hebiros_gazebo_plugin/imu/HEBI/elbow
[ INFO] [1573740848.153229082, 0.361000000]: <frameName> set to: HEBI/elbow/imu_link
[ INFO] [1573740848.153252853, 0.361000000]: <updateRateHZ> set to: 10
[ INFO] [1573740848.153276332, 0.361000000]: <gaussianNoise> set to: 0
[ INFO] [1573740848.153301679, 0.361000000]: <xyzOffset> set to: 0.025 0 0.003
[ INFO] [1573740848.153329049, 0.361000000]: <rpyOffset> set to: 0 -0 0
[INFO] [1573740848.157808, 0.361000]: Spawn status: SpawnModel: Successfully spawned entity
[ INFO] [1573740848.165651302, 0.361000000]: Physics dynamic reconfigure ready.
[spawn_urdf-4] process has finished cleanly
log file: /home/robin/.ros/log/0496bce0-06e9-11ea-a038-f48e3876bc15/spawn_urdf-4*.log
Segmentation fault (core dumped)
[gazebo-2] process has died [pid 11604, exit code 139, cmd /opt/ros/kinetic/lib/gazebo_ros/gzserver -e ode worlds/empty.world __name:=gazebo __log:=/home/robin/.ros/log/0496bce0-06e9-11ea-a038-f48e3876bc15/gazebo-2.log].
log file: /home/robin/.ros/log/0496bce0-06e9-11ea-a038-f48e3876bc15/gazebo-2*.log

I tried opening Gazebo and spawning the model using directly the spawn_model node:
roslaunch gazebo_ros empty_world.launch
rosrun gazebo_ros spawn_model -file 1_dof.urdf -urdf -z 1 -model my_object
and I end up with the same error.
If I remove the plugin from the URDF file, the model spawns successfully.

[dcconner]

I saw similar issue upgrading to Melodic running x-demo
Seems to be fixed by initializing node handle in plugin loader. Early in validation stage.
https://github.com/CNURobotics/HEBI-ROS/tree/melodic-devel