Robots are complex blend of hardware and software, and programming them means facilitating communication between a web of sensors and algorithms and making these elements work together in unison.
Creating a system where all these parts work together is a difficult task, and that is where ROS, the robot operating system, comes in. If you are attempting to program a robot today, the chances are that you will be relying on either ROS1 or ROS2 framework as a starting point, upon which you can create a robot that can perform almost any task, building on the shoulders of those that came before.
Traditionally, programmers would need to learn how to program every single piece of a robot, or work in a team that shared those expertise, but thanks to the open source community, today there is a framework upon which programmer can build their robotics applications – a shared starting point where the paradigm of “program once, test everywhere” remains true.
What is the ROS framework?
The Robot Operating System, known as “ROS”, is an open source platform that bundles together number of different software frameworks and tools for robot software development into a single collection. It may call itself an “operating system”, but in reality it is a middleware suite that aides in software development for hardware abstraction, low level device control, and the implementation of a wide array of commonly used functionalities.
What are the differences between ROS1 and ROS2?
ROS1 was initially created by Willow Garage back in 2007 and quickly gained momentum amongst the open source robotics community. It is still actively maintained with new releases published once a year in May following the release of Ubuntu LTS versions.
ROS1 is a stable and well established platform, but it was also the first successful attempt at creating a widely used middleware for robotics. The developers and maintainers of the platform learned a huge amount by creating ROS1, and with that knowledge they would do things differently today.
Bending and twisting ROS1 to fit these new ideas would create a wealth of problems from compatibility to stability, and so the developers decided it would be best to start afresh with a new platform – ROS2 was born. ROS2 currently releases a new version every six months, in December and July, with changes and updates hitting the platform much more quickly than its predecessor ROS1.
What can you build with the ROS framework?
Robots today can perform a wide variety of tasks, and learning the ROS framework is the best way to start to understand how this technology of the future operates. Many ROS-based robots will be used for single-use tasks such as picking up and moving objects within a warehouse, but for those that are inspired by the technology the possibilities are endless.
Over the years developers have built a number of wheeled rovers for exploration based on the technology, such as the Turtlebot and Hadabot, as well as single armed robots for use in warehouses, in production lines and even in healthcare. If you can think of a task for a robot, then the chances are that you could develop such a tools using the ROS framework.
Do you need a physical robot to learn the ROS framework?
Until recently, it has been incredibly difficult to learn how to build mobile robots without access to a physical robot upon which to test and learn by trial and error. Now, however, thanks to a collaboration between The Construct and Robotnik, it is possible to learn ROS online with both remote and on-site applications.
Access to real robots has long been a financial barrier to entering the robotics industry, with many robots costing tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds if not more. A remote course makes the possibility of learning robotics much more accessible and the hope is that this method of learning will open up the subject to a much broader range of people. However, there is no substitute for the real thing.
In collaboration, Robotnik and The Construct have created a new remote laboratory, where students can learn to program mobile robots via simulation, but critically they will also be able to train with a real robot as well.
The warehouse lab aims to teach students how to program autonomous collaborative robots for a variety of robotics applications and functions within modern warehouses, using both ROS1 and ROS2. Students first practice with a simulation of the environment and then remotely connect to real robots and practice what they have learned, making an efficient use of resources.
About Robotnik and The Construct
Since 2002, Robotnik has designed, manufactured and marketed mobile robots and mobile manipulators, becoming a major player in the robotics market across the US, Europe, and Asia.
The Construct is the leading online educational platform for learning ROS1 and ROS2 development in robotics, traditionally via a mixture of online and face-to-face training sessions.