EP0 - Introduction to ROS

Video: https://youtu.be/XQcqe1yLNgk

Learn More: visit ROS.org.
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Introduction: Simplifying Robot Development

Building robots is difficult. Motors, sensors, software, and batteries must all work together seamlessly to perform tasks.

However, there’s a way to simplify this process: the Robot Operating System, or ROS.

ROS is a free and open-source software that defines the interfaces, components, and tools needed for building advanced robots.

Components of a Robot

Most robots consist of three main components:

• Actuators: Components that enable movement.
• Sensors: Devices that read data from the environment.
• Control Systems: The robot’s "brain."

ROS helps developers quickly build these components and connect them using ROS tools, specifically through topics and messages.

ROS Tools: Topics, Messages, and ROS Bags

ROS messages can be recorded using ROS Bag files (logs),

making it easier to test, train, and perform quality assurance on robots.

Simulated Robots and Digital Twins

These messages can be sent to a variety of visualization and teleoperation tools, streamlining communication between different components of the robot.

With ROS, you can work with a simulated robot, often referred to as a digital twin, instead of the real thing.

This approach simplifies testing and training, making it more effective.

Modular Architecture and Vendor Independence

ROS supports hardware interfaces for most common robot components, including cameras, LIDAR, and motor controllers.

ROS’s modular architecture allows developers to build robots without being tied to specific vendors or licensing fees. ROS can work with virtually any component that has a software interface, giving developers flexibility in their designs.

ROS 2 and Micro ROS

ROS 2 includes Micro ROS,

a variant that runs natively on embedded microcontrollers with real-time operating systems, making it even more versatile.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Why Companies Choose ROS

The ROS framework of common tools enables developers to focus on solving specific problems rather than reinventing existing solutions. This is why hundreds of companies, from small startups to Fortune 500 organizations, academic research labs, and government agencies, choose ROS as their robot development platform.

In 2020 alone, over half a billion ROS packages were downloaded.

The ROS Community

Beyond just software, ROS represents a community of highly skilled and pragmatic roboticists. These experts apply advanced robotics to countless applications and share their solutions with one another.

When you choose ROS, you gain access to a global talent pool, community resources, and a growing ensemble of services.

Services Built on ROS

The ROS community offers a wide array of services, including:

• Logging and diagnostics
• Fleet management
• Deep learning
• Data collection
• Testing and quality assurance

ROS in Different Markets

The ROS community is active in nearly every robotics market, including:

• Agriculture
• Factory logistics
• Autonomous vehicles
• Service robotics
• Food preparation
• Heavy industry
• Drones
• Planetary exploration

The ROS Technical Steering Committee

This community is supported by the ROS Technical Steering Committee, which helps organizations build better code, hire talented developers, and accelerate time to market.

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Video: https://youtu.be/UL1_Ue4rUWs

Introduction: What is ROS?

"What is ROS?" ROS stands for Robot Operating System,

an open-source programming framework for robots, whose development began in the late 2000s at Stanford University and Willow Garage.

ROS is an important development in the field of robotics, which has been dramatically growing in popularity worldwide. It is applicable to a wide range of robotic systems, including mobile, industrial, and flying robots.

Robotics Development Before ROS

To better understand ROS and its benefits, let's consider how robotic projects were developed before ROS.

Historically, the commercially available robotics that we associate with automobile factories, and have since moved into different industries,

involved software control systems that were proprietary and highly specialized for their tasks.

Each system was different, lacked standardization, and as a result, suffered from long development times.

Building robots has traditionally been difficult because robot developers essentially had to reinvent the wheel with each new project.

How ROS Changed the Game

ROS changed this by creating a framework for developing robotic software that facilitates and encourages the sharing and reuse of good ideas on how to control robots.

However, this has not been a trivial challenge. Different robots are designed to perform various tasks in different environments, so having one general-purpose software framework to solve all problems is difficult.

Yet, ROS has maximized the utility of open-source software by addressing many common challenges robotic developers face, such as:

• Coordinate system transformations
• Motion planning
• Communications
• Sensor integration

ROS provides ready-to-use, field-tested solutions for these challenges.

A programmer can simply download the appropriate software packages,

integrate them into their robot design, and leverage the ROS community's knowledge and years of experience.

Additionally, since it’s open-source, ROS is free for both private and commercial use.

Key Features of ROS

From a practical standpoint, ROS can be viewed as having five key aspects:

1. Modular Software Development: ROS enables modular software development by providing a library of reusable code packages that are free and available for use. This makes robot development easier, faster, and more reliable than developing all robot capabilities from scratch.

2. Runtime Environment: ROS provides a runtime environment that supports near real-time communication between system elements and data sharing.

3. Conventions: Although ROS is not a strict standard like ISO or HTML, it provides useful conventions for creating and using ROS-supported code in a repeatable and reliable way.

4. Development Tools: ROS offers a suite of development tools helpful for monitoring, troubleshooting, and visualizing your robot, including building computer simulations of robotic systems to fine-tune behavior before building the physical robot.

5. Community: Last but not least, there is a vibrant community of tens of thousands of users and contributors around the world. The number of robots using ROS has seen dramatic growth over a short four-year period.

Complementary Open-Source Technologies

In addition to ROS, there are several complementary open-source technologies that can be integrated into a comprehensive robotic control system. These include, but are not limited to:

• MoveIt: An open-source software for motion planning, including manipulation of objects and navigation within a 3D environment.
  
  

• Gazebo: A high-quality physics engine for performing visual simulations of one or more robots in real-world environments.

• OpenCV: An open-source library supporting computer vision, useful for collecting and analyzing real-time video.
  
  

• Microsoft .NET Micro Framework: An open-source platform for creating applications on embedded devices.
  
  

Learn More About ROS

Feel free to visit the ROS.org website to learn more about this significant development in robotics technology. There, you’ll find additional information, software downloads, detailed technical documentation.

And access to the ROS Answers forum,

where you can get solutions to your technical questions.

You can also visit the Open Source Robotics Foundation

and Willow Garage websites,

to gain deeper insights into the history, community, and ongoing development of ROS.

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