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Module 1: ROS 2 Foundations

Module Overview​

Welcome to Module 1 of the Physical AI & Humanoid Robotics textbook. This module introduces the foundational concepts of Physical AI, humanoid robotics, and the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2). Over four weeks, you'll build a solid understanding of how physical AI systems work, the architecture of humanoid robots, and the core communication patterns in ROS 2.

Duration: Weeks 1-4 Prerequisites: Basic Python programming, Linux command-line familiarity Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the paradigm of Physical AI and its applications
  • Explain humanoid robot mechanical and control systems
  • Implement ROS 2 nodes, topics, services, and actions
  • Build distributed robotic applications using ROS 2 communication

Lessons​

Week 1: Introduction to Physical AI​

Explore the concept of Physical AI, embodied intelligence, and the sensor-motor loop that enables robots to interact with the physical world.

Key Topics: Physical AI definition, embodied AI vs. traditional AI, sensor-motor loop, real-world applications

Week 2: Fundamentals of Humanoid Robotics​

Study the mechanical structure, actuators, sensors, and control systems that define humanoid robots.

Key Topics: Degrees of freedom, humanoid morphology, actuator types, sensor arrays, control hierarchies

Week 3: ROS 2 Architecture & Core Concepts​

Learn the architecture of ROS 2, including the DDS middleware, graph-based communication, and quality-of-service (QoS) policies.

Key Topics: ROS 2 vs. ROS 1, DDS middleware, computational graph, packages and workspaces, QoS

Week 4: ROS 2 Nodes, Topics, Services, Actions​

Master the core ROS 2 communication patterns: nodes for computation, topics for streaming data, services for request/response, and actions for long-running tasks.

Key Topics: Node lifecycle, publisher/subscriber patterns, service clients/servers, action clients/servers

Module Resources​

  • Code Examples: All ROS 2 examples tested on ROS 2 Humble Hawksbill (Ubuntu 22.04)
  • Simulation: Gazebo Classic 11 and Gazebo Sim (Ignition Fortress)
  • Hardware: Optional humanoid platforms (e.g., NAO, Pepper, custom builds)
  • References: ROS 2 Documentation, Robotics textbooks, IEEE/ACM papers

Assessment​

  • Formative: Weekly quizzes (7 questions each)
  • Hands-On: 3 exercises per lesson (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
  • Summative: End-of-module project integrating Weeks 1-4 concepts

Next: Start with Week 1: Introduction to Physical AI →