ROS (Robot Operating System) is a set of libraries and tools used for building robot applications. ROS is a production-ready system, and it is used throughout the robotics industry.
ROS provides a set of general tools you can use to get a robotics application off the ground fast. It allows for customization to fit your specific needs. It integrates well with major languages and platforms.
ROS integrates different sub-components of a robot and allows communication and transfer of information between them as well
ROS was built out of a need for a consistent, well-maintained base for robotics applications that until then typically used badly-written, rushed code made from the ground up for a specific application.
Because ROS is used so widely, the community for it is strong, and it has significant industry support. ROS is open-source and free- you can use it for your own personal projects, academics, commercial applications, and more.
ROS is your backbone when it comes to developing and deploying robotics applications
Today, you will find robotics and/or automation engineering roles that have ROS as one of the requirements for the job. From personal experiences, we know that having some ROS experience will definitely help with that too.
Who maintains ROS?
A company, Open Robotics, maintains ROS and many open-source software that comes with it to help develop robotics software.
How to use ROS?
We will be going over that today, but put in short, you will need a UNIX based operating system (OS), or be able to use one with a Virtual Machine (VM).
Today, we will introduce you to ConstructSim, which provides you with an online Linux VM to use up to 8 hours a day with no cost.
Real-Life Examples of Companies using ROS