Category: Self Study Courses

This comprehensive 4-month self-study course is designed for motivated beginners and intermediate learners eager to master the ROS2 basics using the powerful Rust programming language. Robotics is a field defined by rapid innovation, and combining a strong grasp of ROS2 (Robot Operating System 2) with the unparalleled performance and safety of Rust provides a formidable toolkit for developing next-generation robotic applications. This syllabus will guide you from the ground up, starting with core concepts and culminating in the construction of practical robotic behaviors. Through hands-on learning and real-world examples, you will become proficient in creating, managing, and debugging ROS2 nodes, mastering message passing, and leveraging the entire ROS2 ecosystem—all while harnessing the unique advantages of Rust.

Primary Learning Objectives:

Understand the fundamental architecture and core concepts of ROS2.
Gain proficiency in Rust programming fundamentals essential for robotics.
Develop, compile, and run ROS2 nodes using the Rust client library.
Implement various ROS2 communication paradigms: topics, services, and actions.
Configure and manage ROS2 parameters and utilize logging for diagnostics.
Utilize standard ROS2 tools for system introspection and debugging.
Integrate Rust-based ROS2 applications with components written in other languages.
Apply learned concepts to build a cumulative, hands-on robotics project.

Necessary Materials:

A computer with a modern operating system (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is recommended for optimal ROS2 compatibility).
A stable internet connection for downloading software and accessing documentation.
Administrative privileges on your computer to install necessary software packages.
A basic familiarity with using a command-line interface (CLI) for navigating directories and running commands.
No prior Rust or ROS2 experience is required, but a foundational understanding of programming logic (variables, loops, and conditional statements) is beneficial.

Learning Objectives:
Understand why Rust is an excellent language choice for robotics.
Set up a complete Rust development environment.
Write, compile, and run a basic Hello, World! program using Cargo.
Key Vocabulary:
Rust: A systems programming language focused on memory safety, concurrency, and performance.
Cargo: Rust’s official package manager and build system.
Toolchain: The collection of tools used for Rust development, including the compiler (`rustc`) and standard library.
`main` function: The mandatory entry point of every executable Rust program.
Content:
Rust is rapidly gaining traction in robotics for a critical reason: it solves long-standing problems in system programming. Its emphasis on memory safety without a garbage collector means you get high performance suitable for real-time control loops without risking common bugs like null pointer dereferences or data races. This lesson explains these benefits in a practical context and guides you through installing the Rust toolchain via `rustup`. We will then create your first project with Cargo, explore the project structure, and write a simple program that prints a message to the console.
Hands-on Example:
1. Install the Rust toolchain using the `rustup` installer.
2. Create a new Cargo project with `cargo new hello_rust_robot`.
3. Navigate into the new project directory.
4. Modify `src/main.rs` to print Hello, Rust Robot!.
5. Compile and run your first program using `cargo run`.

Lesson 2: Rust Basics: Variables, Data Types, and Control Flow

Learning Objectives:
Declare and use variables, understanding Rust’s concepts of immutability and mutability.
Understand fundamental Rust data types (integers, floats, booleans, strings).
Implement control flow structures like `if/else` conditions and various loops.
Key Vocabulary:
Variable: A named storage location for a value.
Mutable (`mut`): A keyword that allows a variable’s value to be changed.
Immutable: The default state for variables, whose values cannot change once assigned.
Data Types: Primitives like `i32`, `f64`, `bool`, and `char`.
String slice (`&str`): An immutable, fixed-size view into a string.
`String`: A growable, heap-allocated, and owned string type.
Control Flow: Structures like `if/else` for decisions and `loop`, `while`, and `for` for repetition.
Content:
This lesson covers the foundational syntax of Rust. We will explore how to store and manipulate data using variables, with a special focus on Rust’s immutable by default philosophy, a core feature for writing safe and predictable code. You’ll learn the difference between primitive data types for sensor readings (e.g., `f64` for distance) and commands (e.g., `i32` for motor speed). We will then implement decision-making logic with `if/else` statements and create repetitive tasks with loops, which are critical for any robot that needs to react to its environment or perform a sequence of actions.
Hands-on Example:
1. Create a new project: `cargo new robot_logic`.
2. In `src/main.rs`, define a mutable integer variable representing a robot’s battery level.
3. Use an `if/else` statement to print a warning if the battery level is below 20%.
4. Implement a `for` loop that iterates 10 times, simulating a robot taking ten steps forward and printing its progress.

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Weeks 3-4: Module 2 – Introduction to Core ROS2 Basics

Lesson 3: Understanding ROS2 Architecture and Concepts

Learning Objectives:
Explain the evolution from ROS1 and the key advantages of ROS2.
Identify the core architectural components of a ROS2 system.
Understand the role of DDS (Data Distribution Service) as the communication backbone.
Key Vocabulary:
ROS2: Robot Operating System 2.
DDS: The industry-standard middleware protocol that enables ROS2’s discovery and communication.
Node: An executable process performing a single, modular task (e.g., controlling a camera, planning a path).
Topic: A named communication channel; nodes publish messages to topics, and other nodes subscribe to them to receive the data. Think of it as a public radio broadcast.
Message: A strictly-typed data structure used for sending information over topics.
Service: A one-to-one request/response communication pattern. Like a function call, but between different nodes.
Action: A mechanism for long-running, goal-oriented tasks that provides continuous feedback (e.g., navigate to point B).
Content:
This lesson introduces the why behind ROS2. We’ll discuss its key improvements over ROS1, such as enhanced support for multi-robot systems, real-time control, and operation over unreliable networks—all thanks to its use of DDS. You will gain a solid conceptual understanding of the foundational ROS2 basics: how independent programs (nodes) communicate with each other using topics, services, and actions to form a complex, distributed robotics system.
Hands-on Example:
1. Install ROS2 Humble (or your preferred distribution).
2. In one terminal, run a demo publisher node: `ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker`.
3. In a second terminal, run a demo subscriber node: `ros2 run demo_nodes_py listener`.
4. Use command-line tools to inspect the system: `ros2 node list`, `ros2 topic list`, and `ros2 topic echo /chatter` to see the messages being passed in real-time.