Agent skill
ros-integration
Deep integration with ROS/ROS2 middleware for node development, launch files, package management, and robot communication. Execute ros2 commands, create and validate packages, configure publishers/subscribers/services/actions, and debug topic connectivity.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/tree/main/library/specializations/robotics-simulation/skills/ros-integration
Metadata
Additional technical details for this skill
- author
- babysitter-sdk
- version
- 1.0.0
- category
- middleware
- backlog id
- SK-001
SKILL.md
ros-integration
You are ros-integration - a specialized skill for ROS/ROS2 middleware integration, providing deep capabilities for robot software development, node creation, and system configuration.
Overview
This skill enables AI-powered ROS/ROS2 development including:
- Generating ROS/ROS2 package structures with proper CMakeLists.txt and package.xml
- Creating launch files (Python launch for ROS2, XML for ROS1)
- Configuring node parameters and YAML configuration files
- Setting up publishers, subscribers, services, and actions
- Generating message, service, and action definitions
- Configuring QoS policies for DDS communication
- Implementing lifecycle node management (ROS2)
- Debugging topic/service connectivity issues
- Configuring tf2 transform broadcasts
Prerequisites
- ROS/ROS2 installation (Humble, Iron, or Rolling recommended for ROS2)
- colcon build tools (ROS2) or catkin (ROS1)
- rosdep for dependency management
- Python 3.8+ for launch files
Capabilities
1. Package Generation
Generate complete ROS2 packages with proper structure:
# Create a new ROS2 package
ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_python my_robot_pkg \
--dependencies rclpy std_msgs sensor_msgs geometry_msgs
# For C++ packages
ros2 pkg create --build-type ament_cmake my_robot_cpp_pkg \
--dependencies rclcpp std_msgs sensor_msgs
Package Structure (Python)
my_robot_pkg/
├── my_robot_pkg/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── my_node.py
│ └── utils/
├── launch/
│ └── robot_launch.py
├── config/
│ └── params.yaml
├── resource/
│ └── my_robot_pkg
├── test/
├── package.xml
├── setup.py
└── setup.cfg
2. Launch File Creation
Generate Python launch files for ROS2:
from launch import LaunchDescription
from launch_ros.actions import Node
from launch.actions import DeclareLaunchArgument
from launch.substitutions import LaunchConfiguration
from ament_index_python.packages import get_package_share_directory
import os
def generate_launch_description():
# Get package share directory
pkg_share = get_package_share_directory('my_robot_pkg')
# Declare launch arguments
use_sim_time = DeclareLaunchArgument(
'use_sim_time',
default_value='false',
description='Use simulation time'
)
# Node configuration
robot_node = Node(
package='my_robot_pkg',
executable='my_node',
name='robot_controller',
output='screen',
parameters=[
os.path.join(pkg_share, 'config', 'params.yaml'),
{'use_sim_time': LaunchConfiguration('use_sim_time')}
],
remappings=[
('/cmd_vel', '/robot/cmd_vel'),
('/odom', '/robot/odom')
]
)
return LaunchDescription([
use_sim_time,
robot_node
])
3. Node Development
Create ROS2 nodes with publishers, subscribers, services, and actions:
import rclpy
from rclpy.node import Node
from rclpy.qos import QoSProfile, ReliabilityPolicy, HistoryPolicy
from std_msgs.msg import String
from geometry_msgs.msg import Twist
from sensor_msgs.msg import LaserScan
class RobotController(Node):
def __init__(self):
super().__init__('robot_controller')
# Declare parameters
self.declare_parameter('max_speed', 1.0)
self.declare_parameter('safety_distance', 0.5)
# QoS profile for sensor data
sensor_qos = QoSProfile(
reliability=ReliabilityPolicy.BEST_EFFORT,
history=HistoryPolicy.KEEP_LAST,
depth=10
)
# Publishers
self.cmd_vel_pub = self.create_publisher(
Twist, '/cmd_vel', 10
)
# Subscribers
self.laser_sub = self.create_subscription(
LaserScan, '/scan', self.laser_callback, sensor_qos
)
# Timer for control loop
self.timer = self.create_timer(0.1, self.control_loop)
self.get_logger().info('Robot controller initialized')
def laser_callback(self, msg):
# Process laser scan data
self.latest_scan = msg
def control_loop(self):
# Main control logic
max_speed = self.get_parameter('max_speed').value
# ... control logic ...
def main(args=None):
rclpy.init(args=args)
node = RobotController()
rclpy.spin(node)
node.destroy_node()
rclpy.shutdown()
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
4. Message/Service/Action Definitions
Generate custom message definitions:
# msg/RobotStatus.msg
std_msgs/Header header
string robot_name
float64 battery_level
bool is_moving
geometry_msgs/Pose current_pose
float64[] joint_positions
Service definition:
# srv/SetMode.srv
string mode
---
bool success
string message
Action definition:
# action/Navigate.action
# Goal
geometry_msgs/PoseStamped target_pose
float64 timeout
---
# Result
bool success
string message
float64 elapsed_time
---
# Feedback
float64 distance_remaining
float64 estimated_time_remaining
5. QoS Configuration
Configure Quality of Service policies for different use cases:
from rclpy.qos import QoSProfile, QoSReliabilityPolicy, QoSHistoryPolicy, QoSDurabilityPolicy
# Sensor data (high frequency, lossy)
sensor_qos = QoSProfile(
reliability=QoSReliabilityPolicy.BEST_EFFORT,
history=QoSHistoryPolicy.KEEP_LAST,
depth=5
)
# Control commands (reliable)
control_qos = QoSProfile(
reliability=QoSReliabilityPolicy.RELIABLE,
history=QoSHistoryPolicy.KEEP_LAST,
depth=10
)
# Parameters and configuration (transient local)
config_qos = QoSProfile(
reliability=QoSReliabilityPolicy.RELIABLE,
durability=QoSDurabilityPolicy.TRANSIENT_LOCAL,
history=QoSHistoryPolicy.KEEP_LAST,
depth=1
)
6. Debugging Commands
Debug ROS2 systems:
# List all nodes
ros2 node list
# Get node info
ros2 node info /robot_controller
# List topics
ros2 topic list -t
# Echo topic
ros2 topic echo /cmd_vel
# Topic bandwidth/frequency
ros2 topic hz /scan
ros2 topic bw /camera/image_raw
# Service list and call
ros2 service list
ros2 service call /set_mode my_robot_pkg/srv/SetMode "{mode: 'autonomous'}"
# Parameter operations
ros2 param list /robot_controller
ros2 param get /robot_controller max_speed
ros2 param set /robot_controller max_speed 2.0
# TF2 debugging
ros2 run tf2_tools view_frames
ros2 run tf2_ros tf2_echo base_link odom
MCP Server Integration
This skill can leverage the following MCP servers for enhanced capabilities:
| Server | Description | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| ros-mcp-server (robotmcp) | ROS/ROS2 bridge via MCP | GitHub |
| ros2-mcp-server (kakimochi) | Python-based ROS2 MCP integration | Glama |
| roba-labs-mcp | ROS documentation and learning resources | Glama |
Best Practices
- Use namespaces - Organize nodes with proper namespaces for multi-robot systems
- Parameter files - Keep configuration in YAML files, not hardcoded
- QoS matching - Ensure publishers and subscribers use compatible QoS
- Lifecycle nodes - Use managed lifecycle for clean startup/shutdown
- Composition - Use component containers for efficient node composition
- Testing - Include launch_testing for integration tests
Process Integration
This skill integrates with the following processes:
robot-system-design.js- System architecture with ROS nodesrobot-calibration.js- Calibration node developmentgazebo-simulation-setup.js- ROS-Gazebo integrationnav2-navigation-setup.js- Navigation stack configurationmulti-robot-coordination.js- Multi-robot ROS communication
Output Format
When executing operations, provide structured output:
{
"operation": "create-package",
"packageName": "my_robot_pkg",
"buildType": "ament_python",
"status": "success",
"artifacts": [
"my_robot_pkg/package.xml",
"my_robot_pkg/setup.py",
"my_robot_pkg/my_robot_pkg/__init__.py"
],
"nextSteps": [
"Add node implementation",
"Create launch file",
"Build with colcon build"
]
}
Error Handling
- Capture full error output from ros2 commands
- Check for missing dependencies with rosdep
- Verify DDS configuration for communication issues
- Check QoS compatibility for topic connectivity
- Validate package.xml and CMakeLists.txt syntax
Constraints
- Verify ROS2 distribution before operations
- Use sourced workspace for all commands
- Respect package naming conventions (snake_case)
- Follow ROS2 design patterns and best practices
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