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+# Unified USB Camera Launch Design
+
+## Goal
+
+Make the camera behavior of `hobot_usb_cam.launch.py` and
+`hobot_usb_cam_websocket.launch.py` identical. The WebSocket variant must add
+only the WebSocket service.
+
+## Configuration
+
+Add `config/usb_camera.yaml` as the single source of runtime camera parameters:
+
+- `video_device`: `/dev/video0`
+- `image_width`: `1280`
+- `image_height`: `720`
+- `framerate`: `30`
+- `pixel_format`: `mjpeg`
+- `io_method`: `mmap`
+- `zero_copy`: `false`
+- `frame_id`: `default_usb_cam`
+- `camera_calibration_file_path`: the existing
+  `config/usb_camera_calibration.yaml`
+
+The calibration data remains in `usb_camera_calibration.yaml`; it is not mixed
+with ROS runtime parameters.
+
+## Launch Structure
+
+`hobot_usb_cam.launch.py` will:
+
+1. Declare one `camera_config` launch argument whose default is the installed
+   `config/usb_camera.yaml` path.
+2. Start the shared-memory environment once.
+3. Start one `hobot_usb_cam` node with the YAML file as its parameter source.
+
+`hobot_usb_cam_websocket.launch.py` will:
+
+1. Include `hobot_usb_cam.launch.py` without overriding camera parameters.
+2. Include the WebSocket launch configured for `/image`, MJPEG input, image-only
+   display, and a 30 FPS output limit.
+
+It will not start `hobot_codec`, duplicate the shared-memory launch, or carry
+camera parameter literals.
+
+## Data Flow
+
+Without WebSocket:
+
+`/dev/video0 -> hobot_usb_cam -> /image (CompressedImage)`
+
+With WebSocket:
+
+`/dev/video0 -> hobot_usb_cam -> /image (CompressedImage) -> WebSocket`
+
+No RGB conversion or second JPEG encode is performed.
+
+## Validation
+
+An automated structural check will verify that:
+
+- the YAML contains the required 1280x720, 30 FPS, native MJPEG parameters;
+- the base launch loads that YAML;
+- the WebSocket launch includes the base launch;
+- the WebSocket launch does not define a camera node, codec node, or camera
+  parameter overrides.
+
+After building, each launch will be started separately. Both must publish one
+`sensor_msgs/msg/CompressedImage` topic at approximately 30 FPS with decoded
+dimensions of 1280x720. Only the WebSocket launch may create the WebSocket node
+and port 8080 service.
+
+## Operational Notes
+
+The two launch files cannot run concurrently because they both own
+`/dev/video0`. Runtime validation is sequential and stops the first launch
+before starting the second. Any separately started `usb_cam_node_exe` must also
+be stopped before validation because V4L2 permits only one active capture owner
+for this camera.