FAQ

Data and formats

What data formats are accepted?

ROS1 .bag, ROS2 .mcap, and ROS2 .db3 files. Split bag files are acceptable. A non-ROS format is also supported: a .tar file containing images, .pcap files for lidars, and .csv files for IMU and wheel encoder data. See Capturing data for details.

Do you support non-ROS formats?

Yes, though custom formats may require additional engineering time to decode. See Capturing data for details.

Can I submit multiple bag files?

Yes. Split bag files are accepted. If submitting multiple files, ensure they do not contain duplicate messages from the same topics — this can happen if multiple rosbag record instances were recording simultaneously.

Is there any other data I can provide that is helpful?

CAD files and TF trees are helpful but not required. They can be used to constrain dimensions of calibration that are not directly observable from motion data — for example, the height of an IMU on a robot that only moves in a plane. If you have this data, include it.

Can I send metadata with my sensor data?

Yes. Upload a file named msa_metadata.tar when creating your log. It will be returned in the result without modification. MSA does not unpack or reference this file.