Learn Robotics and ROS 2 with Practical Examples

Book Description
Robot Operating System (ROS) and Python are essential tools for developing advanced robotics applications, offering reliability and scalability for both research and industrial solutions. [Ultimate Robotics Programming with ROS 2 and Python] introduces readers to ROS 2 without requiring prior experience in robotics. It blends theoretical explanations with practical exercises, empowering readers to solve specific robotics problems while understanding the reasoning behind various approaches.

The book covers a broad spectrum of robotics topics, including mobile robots, industrial manipulators, and aerial robots. These systems are simulated using the modern Gazebo simulator and programmed with ROS 2’s out-of-the-box tools and custom solutions using the ROS 2 API. The book also delves into computer vision, generative AI, and machine learning, providing hands-on examples of real-world applications.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Robot Operating System 2
2. Hands-on ROS 2 Programming Using Python
3. Supplementary Tools for ROS 2
4. Robot Visualization and Simulation
5. Writing Tests Using Pytest for ROS 2 Nodes
6. Controlling an Inverted Pendulum with a PID Controller
7. Laser-based Obstacle Avoidance with a Wheeled Mobile Robot
8. ROS 2 Behaviour Trees Using Python
9. Surveillance System Using Behaviour Trees
10. Robot Navigation Using ROS 2 Navigation Stack (Nav2)
11. Robot Arm Control Using MoveIt 2
12. Programming Aerial Robots Using ROS 2
13. Computer Vision Using ROS 2
14. Object Detection Using ROS 2
15. Using Large Language Models with ROS 2
16. Deep Reinforcement Learning Using ROS 2
Index

About the Author

Jonathan Cacace was born in Naples, Italy, on 13 December 1987. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Computer Science from University of Naples “Federico II”. Later he joined the PhD program of the same institution, earning the title of Philosophiae Doctor in Automation and Computer Engineering in 2016. During his research career, he had the chance to participate and lead various applied research projects focused on robotics, funded by the European Union. This allowed him to explore several areas of robotics, from robot manipulation to navigation. After completing his PhD, he continued to divide his work between scientific research and applied robotics, participating in more than 50 scientific publications in the flagship robotics conferences and scientific journals. He also collaborated as a private consultant for different startups based in Europe. From 2019 to 2023, he was an assistant professor at University of Naples, where he taught two courses: Laboratory of Robotics and Mobile Robotics. During these years, he mentored many undergraduate students in the field of Robotics and Computer Engineering. He has been an invited speaker of an international robotics workshop held at one of the Europe's most prestigious research centers and universities.

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