Robot Operating System 2: Design, Architecture, and Uses In The Wild

TL;DR

ROS 2 is a redesigned, modular, and scalable robotic operating system that addresses the limitations of ROS 1, enabling reliable deployment of robots across diverse and challenging real-world environments.

Contribution

This paper details the architectural improvements of ROS 2 over ROS 1 and demonstrates its impact through case studies in real-world robotic deployments.

Findings

ROS 2 significantly improves reliability and scalability for robotic systems.

Adoption of ROS 2 accelerates deployment of robots in diverse environments.

Case studies show successful real-world applications of ROS 2.

Abstract

The next chapter of the robotics revolution is well underway with the deployment of robots for a broad range of commercial use-cases. Even in a myriad of applications and environments, there exists a common vocabulary of components that robots share - the need for a modular, scalable, and reliable architecture; sensing; planning; mobility; and autonomy. The Robot Operating System (ROS) was an integral part of the last chapter, demonstrably expediting robotics research with freely-available components and a modular framework. However, ROS 1 was not designed with many necessary production-grade features and algorithms. ROS 2 and its related projects have been redesigned from the ground up to meet the challenges set forth by modern robotic systems in new and exploratory domains at all scales. In this review, we highlight the philosophical and architectural changes of ROS 2 powering this new chapter in the robotics revolution. We also show through case studies the influence ROS 2 and its adoption has had on accelerating real robot systems to reliable deployment in an assortment of challenging environments.