feat: Generalise the alert system and add directional arrow support via the @left and @right syntax

README.md

@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 # 🐞 FRE Information Panel
 
-ROS 2 package + React/Vite web UI for displaying information (currently only bug detection alerts).
+ROS 2 package + React/Vite web UI for displaying information alerts (plant health, pest detection, etc.).
 
 The project uses `rclnodejs/web` as the browser bridge and is containerised through the `aoc_container_base` stack.
 
 ## Topics
 
-### Bug Detection
+### Alerts
 
-- Topic: `/bug_detection/detected_bugs`
+- Topic: `/information_panel/alert`
 - Message type: `std_msgs/msg/String`
-- Expected options: `[ "bee", "butterfly", "ladybird" ]`
+- Expected options: `[ "bee", "butterfly", "ladybird", "diseased_plant" ]`
 - Can be passed as `bee,butterfly` when both are detected.
+- Example: `diseased_plant` for diseased plant classification.
 
 ## Architecture
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ This package is intentionally coupled so ROS tooling also drives the Node build.
 - rosdep installs system dependencies from package.xml, including nodejs.
 - colcon build triggers npm install and npm run build via CMake custom target.
 - ros2 launch starts the UI and bridge as separate processes.
-- The UI display timeout is configurable with the launch argument idle_ms.
+- The UI display timeout is configurable with the launch argument alert_persistence_ms.
 - Runtime requires Node.js `>=24.11.1 <25` (see `.nvmrc`, `package.json` engines, and Dockerfile configuration).
 
 ## Devcontainer Usage
@@ -59,9 +60,17 @@ This launch file starts two processes separately:
 To change how long text remains visible after the most recent topic update:
 
 ```bash
-ros2 launch fre_information_panel web.launch.py idle_ms:=5000
+ros2 launch fre_information_panel web.launch.py alert_persistence_ms:=5000
 ```
 
+And to remove the introduction sound effects on each detection use the following parameter:
+
+```bash
+ros2 launch fre_information_panel web.launch.py alert_announcement_with_introduction:=false
+```
+
+These values are both exposed to the final container as environment variables, see [compose.yaml](./compose.yaml).
+
 Services exposed:
 
 - UI: http://localhost:5173
@@ -126,15 +135,16 @@ ros2 launch fre_information_panel web.launch.py
 3. Publish a test message from another ROS terminal in the same domain:
 
 ```bash
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee'}"
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'butterfly'}"
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'ladybird'}"
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,ladybird'}"
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,butterfly'}"
-ros2 topic pub /bug_detection/detected_bugs std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,butterfly,ladybird'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'butterfly'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'ladybird'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'diseased_plant@left'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,ladybird'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,butterfly'}"
+ros2 topic pub --once /information_panel/alert std_msgs/msg/String "{data: 'bee,butterfly,ladybird'}"
 ```
 
-4. Confirm the page updates to indicate that the bug has been found.
+4. Confirm the page updates to display the alert.
 
 ## Optional Hot-Reload UI Workflow
 

compose.yaml

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ services:
       - ROS_DOMAIN_ID=10
       - RMW_IMPLEMENTATION=rmw_fastrtps_cpp
       - FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_BRIDGE_ENDPOINT=/capability
+      - FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_PERSISTENCE_MS=5000
+      - FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_ANNOUNCEMENT_WITH_INTRODUCTION=true
 
 networks:
   ros_net:

src/fre_information_panel/launch/web.launch.py

@@ -4,20 +4,33 @@
 from launch.conditions import IfCondition
 from launch import LaunchDescription
 from launch.actions import DeclareLaunchArgument, ExecuteProcess
-from launch.substitutions import LaunchConfiguration
+from launch.substitutions import EnvironmentVariable, LaunchConfiguration
 
 
 def generate_launch_description():
     package_share = Path(get_package_share_directory('fre_information_panel'))
-    idle_ms = LaunchConfiguration('idle_ms')
+    alert_persistence_ms = LaunchConfiguration('alert_persistence_ms')
+    alert_announcement_with_introduction = LaunchConfiguration(
+        'alert_announcement_with_introduction'
+    )
     start_bridge = LaunchConfiguration('start_bridge')
     start_ui = LaunchConfiguration('start_ui')
 
     return LaunchDescription([
         DeclareLaunchArgument(
-            'idle_ms',
-            default_value='5000',
-            description='Milliseconds to keep the detected bug text visible after the last received message.',
+            'alert_persistence_ms',
+            default_value=EnvironmentVariable(
+                'FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_PERSISTENCE_MS', default_value='5000'
+            ),
+            description='Milliseconds to keep the detected alert visible after the last received message.',
+        ),
+        DeclareLaunchArgument(
+            'alert_announcement_with_introduction',
+            default_value=EnvironmentVariable(
+                'FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_ANNOUNCEMENT_WITH_INTRODUCTION',
+                default_value='true'
+            ),
+            description='Whether intro audio is enabled for alerts that opt into it.',
         ),
         DeclareLaunchArgument(
             'start_bridge',
@@ -42,7 +55,8 @@ def generate_launch_description():
             output='screen',
             name='fre_information_panel_ui',
             additional_env={
-                'FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_IDLE_MS': idle_ms,
+                'FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_PERSISTENCE_MS': alert_persistence_ms,
+                'FRE_INFORMATION_PANEL_ALERT_ANNOUNCEMENT_WITH_INTRODUCTION': alert_announcement_with_introduction,
             },
             condition=IfCondition(start_ui),
         ),