Tutorial: ROS

Introduction to ROS

ROS stands for Robot Operating System, and is a communications protocol for disparate pieces of code to talk to one another using a standardized format for messages. In the Interactive Robotics Lab, we use ROS to tell the robots where to move their various joints. We can also tell the robots to run a certain series of moves through a different message type.

Installing ROS

To start installing ROS, go to Installing and Configuring Your ROS Environment:

• Install ROS (Edwin currently runs on Ubuntu 16.04 and ROS Kinetic)
• Manage your Environment
• Create a ROS Workspace (catkin workspace, rosbuilds are an older implementation).

Beginner Tutorials

To start learning about the basics of ROS, go to ROS Tutorials and do the following tutorials:

• Understanding Nodes
• Understanding Topics
• Writing a Simple Publisher and Subscriber (Python)

If you find language that you don't understand, you can do the tutorials in sequential order as found on the ROS Tutorials page, but these are the most important ones. Also, if you want to unlock more of the immense potential of ROS, feel free to keep reading! As always, if you have questions, check the troubleshooting page, then ask someone! Don't struggle in silence.