Blog posts written by sidfaber

sidfaber
23 November 2020

Exploring ROS 2 Kubernetes configurations

Cloud and server Article

Kubernetes and robotics make a great match. However, as we have seen, robots running ROS 2 can be tricky to set up on Kubernetes. This blog series has explored running ROS 2 on Kubernetes, set up a simple talker and listener, and distributed that demo across three machines. The configurations presented may not quite fit ...

sidfaber
17 November 2020

Distribute ROS 2 across machines with MicroK8s

Cloud and server Article

Introduction Our simple ROS 2 talker and listener setup runs well on a single Kubernetes node, now let’s distribute it out across multiple computers. This article builds upon our simple ROS 2 talker / listener setup by running it on multiple K8s nodes. At the completion of this setup expect to have a ROS2 Kubernetes ...

sidfaber
9 November 2020

ROS 2 on Kubernetes: a simple talker and listener setup

Cloud and server Article

Kubernetes and ROS make a great match, but ROS2 can be tricky to set up. In this post we demonstrate a scalable system with MicroK8s on Ubuntu. ...

sidfaber
6 November 2020

The State of Robotics – October 2020

Robotics Article

This post marks the one year anniversary of the Ubuntu Robotics newsletter: the place we showcase our work and discussing cool robotics happenings. ...

sidfaber
2 November 2020

ROS 2 and Kubernetes Basics

Cloud and server Article

Construct a prototype ROS 2 system distributed across multiple computers using Kubernetes. Our goal is not only to provide you with a working configuration, but also to help you understand why it succeeds and overcome future design challenges. ...

sidfaber
3 September 2020

Tutorial: Getting Started with ROS

Robotics Article

ROS, the Robot Operating System, is the platform of choice for robot development. However, the breadth and depth of existing documentation can be daunting for the ROS beginner. Where should you start learning about ROS 2 on Ubuntu? All robots based on ROS and ROS 2 are programmed using five simple but core constructs: Nodes ...

sidfaber
24 July 2020

Simulate the TurtleBot3

Robotics Article

Interested in getting started in robotics? There’s no need to purchase expensive hardware before you try some things out: simulate a TurtleBot3 instead! The simulator is complete with LIDAR, a camera, a gyro and many other sensors and actuators. You can also see this installation in action at the Ubuntu Robotics YouTube channel. Software ...

sidfaber
17 July 2020

ROS Security Benchmark open for public comment

Robotics Article

We’re pleased to announce that the Center for Internet Security (CIS) has publicly released the ROS Security Benchmark for community discussion. When published, this benchmark will document community best-practice configuration settings to properly secure ROS Melodic running on Ubuntu Bionic. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an ong ...

sidfaber
13 July 2020

Robotics Recap: Learning, Programming & Snapping ROS 2

Robotics Article

Robotics@Canonical puts a strong focus on the migration from ROS to ROS 2. ROS 2 benefits from many improvements, especially robot security. Our goal is to make it easy for you to transition to ROS 2, whether you’re completely new to ROS or a seasoned engineer retooling for a new environment. Your new platform should ...

sidfaber
29 June 2020

Installing ROS in LXD Containers

Cloud and server Article

It’s the season for updates. The last few weeks have ushered in ROS 1 Noetic and ROS 2 Foxy, both of which target the recently released Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa. As always, new releases come with trepidation: how can I install new software and test compatibility, yet keep my own environment stable until I know ...

sidfaber
24 January 2020

Teaching Robotics with ROS on Ubuntu at SRU

Robotics Article

This week, as part of my work on the Ubuntu Robotics team, I headed up to Slippery Rock University in northwestern PA to meet with Dr. Sam Thangiah and to introduce students to the Robot Operating System (ROS). New semester, lots of new opportunities for learning! We started with a really simple robot environment. Check ...

sidfaber

Roboticist