Module 1: ROS 2 — The Robotic Nervous System
Module Overview
Just as the human nervous system connects the brain to every muscle and sensor in the body, ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2) is the communication backbone of a modern robot. It connects the AI "brain" (your Python code, LLMs) to the physical actuators and sensors.
ROS 2 is not a traditional operating system — it is a middleware framework that provides:
- A standardized way for software components to communicate
- Tools for visualization, debugging, and simulation
- A rich ecosystem of packages for navigation, perception, and control
Why ROS 2 (not ROS 1)?
| Feature | ROS 1 | ROS 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time support | No | Yes (DDS middleware) |
| Security | None | Built-in (SROS2) |
| Multi-robot support | Limited | Native |
| Python version | Python 2 | Python 3 |
| Active support | Ended 2025 | Active (Jazzy/Iron) |
What You Will Learn in This Module
- ROS 2 Architecture — How nodes, topics, services, and actions work together
- Building Nodes with rclpy — Writing robot controllers in Python
- Bridging AI Agents to ROS — Connecting LLM outputs to robot actions
- URDF — Describing humanoid robot bodies in XML
Topics in This Module
Prerequisites: Ubuntu 22.04, ROS 2 Humble/Jazzy installed, Python 3.10+