ROS Developer Documentation

ROS packages are collections of ROS code that allow you to accomplish particular tasks. The ROS ecosystem is full of packages that help you do things like robot navigation, industrial arm control, real-time control, and embedded systems development. To find a package for your application visit our ROS package index.

ROS is made possible through the generous support of open source contributors and the non-profit Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF). Tax-deductible donations to the OSRF can be made using the link below. If your organization would like to support our work please consider joining the Open Source Robotics Alliance (OSRA).

Are you ready to contribute to the ROS project? Contributions to the ROS project take three main forms: code documentation contributions, ROS packages contributions, financial donations to the OSRF. If you are looking to contribute your time and expertise to the project please visit our contribution guide at the link below.

The ROS community hosts scores of events every year, both on-line and in the real world! ROSCon is our yearly developer meeting where hundreds of ROS developers gather to talk about their latest innovations. We also hold both official meetings and informal meetups on a monthly basis. You can find these events on our official and community calendars. Have an event you would like to share? Please use the link below.

Gazebo is a robot simulation engine and ROS's sibling project. Gazebo is a fantastic tool for robotics development because it lets you build a robotic application virtually, without a physical robot. Using a Gazebo simulation is a great choice for those just getting started with ROS who do not presently own a robot. We also maintain Gazebo Fuel, a large collection of simulation assets and environments that you can use to test your robot.

The TurtleBot 4 is our open source hardware and software platform for robotics education. The TurtleBot's software stack and Gazebo simulation are freely available for those looking to better understand how a ROS robot is put together. Once you've mastered ROS basics consider taking a look at the TurtleBot's source code at the link below.