Implementing and Using ROS in Undergraduate Robotics Curricula

This review aims to elucidate multiple options, challenges, and opportunities to incorporate ROS into undergraduate robotics courses.First, the importance of ROS in the robotics research and industry community is discussed as motivation to learn how to use this middleware (and frequently used packages) in the classroom.Additionally, examples of use in the classroom and challenges of implementation are described based on both literature and interviews with instructors across the country.Then, specific implementation approaches for getting students started using ROS are introduced/described along with specific examples and pros/cons of each approach.Finally, ROS1 versus ROS2 is discussed to describe the utility of each option for instructors as they develop their courses.Overall, this review is meant to collate motivation and options for instructors in robotics trying to incorporate ROS into their courses with minimal overhead for themselves and students.