Mission ROSsible

Theme: Mission ROSsible — this week introduces students to the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2), the middleware that powers modern robotics. It may look complex, but with the right guidance, every mission in ROS 2 is possible.

Example GIF

Focus

  • Learn the purpose and architecture of ROS 2.

  • Understand how nodes, topics, services, and actions work together.

  • Build and run basic ROS 2 publishers and subscribers.

  • Teleoperation with TurtleBot3

Learning Flow

  1. Theory - What is ROS 2 and why is it essential in robotics? - Nodes, topics, services, and actions: the communication backbone. - ROS 1 vs ROS 2: key improvements (DDS, real-time, security). - Packages, workspaces, and launch files.

  2. Practical / Code - Install and set up a ROS 2 workspace. - Write a simple publisher and subscriber in Python. - Use command-line tools:

    • ros2 topic list, ros2 topic echo

    • ros2 node info

    • Create a custom message and send data between nodes.

  3. Simulation / Visualization - Launch a demo robot in Gazebo or RViz2. - Publish velocity commands to move the robot. - Visualize sensor data streams in real-time.

  4. Assignment - Create a ROS 2 package with:

    • A publisher node

    • A subscriber node

    • Test communication between nodes.

    • Push code to GitHub with a README explaining how to build and run the package.

Takeaway

By the end of this week, students will be able to confidently navigate ROS 2, create simple nodes, and communicate between them. They will understand how ROS 2 acts as the operating system of robotics, making every mission — no matter how complex — truly ROSsible.