Camilo - Already Knew ROS 1 But Learnt New Methods In ROS 2

I am a mechatronics engineer with a master's degree in Robotics and AI, who had worked for almost a year as a full-time software developer by the time I started the course with John. I signed up because I was looking for a comprehensive but compact course to improve my skills as a roboticist using ROS2.I really liked the course, it was well structured, the instructions were clear, the provided code worked as expected in 99% of the cases, we learned about both mobile and manipulator robots, John suggested useful exercises at the end of each video and posting on LinkedIn enlarged my network a lot. I gained about 340 followers (from 160 to over 500, more than triple) over the course of the 5 weeks it took me to finish the course which is remarkable by itself.Although I had some experience with ROS1 and Gazebo, I learned a lot from John's tips and presented work methodologies, e.g., inserting the collada model in FreeCAD and modifying the URDF there, using pictures for modeling there, developing within dev Containers, and many more I shared in my posts. Being able to transition from ROS1 to ROS2 and from Gazebo classic to modern Gazebo is also a remarkable achievement, as ROS1 end-of-life comes closer and closer.Last but not least, I loved the constant support John offered to help us achieve the expected results. Chapeau!

Shashank - Expanded on His Masters Degree And Learned How To Build Robots With ROS

It was an amazing course, diving into Gazebo and ROS2 was an exciting challenge. John's detailed explanations, combined with hands-on practice, demystified these powerful tools.I learned how to build robots on FreeCAD, convert them to URDF, simulate in Gazebo, navigate complex environments, and leverage the robust capabilities of ROS2. This practical knowledge has equipped me to tackle real-world robotics projects with confidence. What sets this course apart from the others is how John guides you to showcase your work on social media platforms (LinkedIn, X etc), as learning in public is the way forward and boosts your self-confidence and work-profile.If you're looking to expand your robotics knowledge and unlock your potential, I wholeheartedly recommend John's course. It's an investment that will pay off in dividends, both personally and professionally.Thank you, John, for igniting my passion for robotics and equipping me with the tools to turn that passion into reality!

Matteo - Uses ROS at work everyday and deepened his knowledge of ROS and robotics through the challenge

John has created a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable breakdown of the components required to get started with ROS.As with many things, there's more than meets the eye. It's not just program a robot and awaybyiu go, but all the other considerations of how data is managed, how the robot is designed in CAD so you can test it in simulation, what software tools to use to manage the workflow and stay compatible, the list goes on.As someone who has now for the past two years been in a role where ROS is the core of the product being developed, this both given me more to both grow my knowledge of ROS and take the time to experiment with my own ideas which will hopefully translate into further opportunities in time.Thank you for deciding to make ROS accessible to everyone and I'm glad to play a small part in building the community

"The course offers a great start & ideas on how to implements robotics. Great fundaments in the course, being simulation first lets us learn without having to buy hardware. The delivery method was great." - Theng-Wei"Being able to do ROS through windows is soo much easier as many people don't know how to use linux. I liked the approach being the objective is to do something." - Ramsha"The challenge was really useful for me. I had experience with ROS but had never created a sim from scratch." - Nikita

What You Get

Upon joining, you'll unlock a 28-day curriculum packed with tutorials and frameworks that will help you become a roboticist.

Why It Matters

Other courses charge you thousands of dollars, only to wave their hands in the air with "theory."And by the end, you leave with a bunch of notes that sit in a folder for eternity. Meanwhile, you're still confused and unsure about the next step to take.But Become A Roboticist is about moving quickly, taking action, and keeping a tight feedback loop.In just 4 weeks, you'll simulate a wheeled robot, simulate a robot arm and build your own unique robot.And you will leave with the tools to tackle your own robot project.

Live Session #0: Welcome To Week 0 - Getting your computer setup (Friday, May 17th, 5 PM AWST)Live Session #1: Your First Robot - KRYTN the coffee robot
(Friday, May 24th, 5 PM AWST)Live Session #2: Your 2nd Robot - MACI Robot Arm
(Friday, May 31st, 5 PM AWST)

Live Session #5: Simulating Your Own Robot - Part 1
(Thursday, June 6th, 5 PM AWST)Live Session #6: Simulating Your Own Robot - Part 2
(Friday, June 14th, 5 PM AWST)Live Session #7: Celebration Call - Show Off Your Robot
(Friday, June 21st 5 PM EST)

Week 0 Videos: Setup your computer for creative Robotics1. What to expect over the next 4 weeks
2. Windows1 11: Setting up your computer
3. GitHub, FreeCAD and Blender
4. Ubuntu 22.04: Setting up your computer
5. Why Using Docker Will Save You Hours
6. The Best Way To Save Complex Robotics Projects
7. How To Look Like A Hacker With No Effort
8. How To Publish Your Robotics Work On Social Media
9. Week 0 Live Session

Week 1 Videos: Getting To Know ROS 2 and KRYTN Robot1. How To Drive A Robot: Teleoperation of KRYTN
2. Is The Robotic Operating System Actually Just Like A Discord Group?
3. Using The SOLn Framework To Setup Your Robot
4. Giving Your Robot Eyes: How To Simulate Sensors For KRYTN
5. Giving Your Robot Memory: Setting Up Mapping With KRYTN Robot
6. Self Driving Robot?!? How To Setup Autonomous Navigation For KRYTN Robot
7. Designing your First Robot Link: Using FreeCAD To Sketch Over An Image
8. Make your Meshes Shine! How To Use Blender To Colour Your Meshes
9. How To Add Stuff To your Robot: Adding a Coffee Tray To KRYTn
10: My Robot Is Broken! 5 Tips for Debugging ROS
11: Week 1 live session

Week 2 Videos: Robot Arms and The MACI Robot1. How To Move Your Robot Arm: Using the MoveIT package
2. How To Deal With Robot Complexity: Cleaning the Workspace for MACI
3. Using Other Peoples Code For Robot Models (URDF, XACRO and spawning in Launch files)
4. Giving Your Robot Hands: Designing A Simple Gripper In FreeCAD
5. Installing The Gripper on MACI and Configuring It Using MoveIT 2
6. Programming Your Robot: Writing A Simple Python Script To Open and Close Your Gripper
7. How To Use Other Peoples Work To Move Your Robot: Using pymoveit2 To Script Your Robot
8. Adding Something For MACI to Pickup: Using Gazebo To create an Environment
9. Week 2 Live Session

Week 3 &4 Videos: Find a robot and simulate it1. How To Sketch A Robot in FreeCAD for ROS: The 4S method
2. Don't Start From Scratch Again: How To Use KRYTN and MACI Projects As Templates
3. Fantastic Robots and Where To Find Them: How To Pick A Robot To Simulate
4. How To Create Interesting Environment? Use Your Phone To Scan The World and Load It Into Gazebo
5. 3 Example Robot Simulations Created From Images Of Real Robots
6. 3 Tips For Your Robot Build
7. From Simulation To Real World: What You'll Need To Change To Use These Templates On A Physical Robot
8. Live Session Replay Week 3
9. Live Session Replay Week 4
10. Live Session Replay Week 5

How much does this cost?

Other courses charge upwards of $5000 to help you learn ROS.But our goal with Become A Roboticist is to keep it accessible while still charging enough to keep you accountable.The full price of the course is $400.

Can I gift enrollment of Become A Roboticist to a friend?

Absolutely! And what a tremendous gift indeed.To do so, simply enroll using your email address.Then, send an email to "[email protected]" with the subject line GIFT TRANSFER REQUEST and we will send you further instructions.

What's the time commitment?

Life is busy. We know you don't have time to program robots all day.Which is why this course is designed to be done in less than 60 minutes per day.On top of this simple, daily robotic tasks, there are (optional) live sessions every week as well as a self-paced curriculum.

Is this just another YouTube robotics course?

On the surface, this might look like just another course on the subject of robotics and ROS.But beneath the surface, what you're really getting is an immersive cohort-based course and community that ensures you take action, holds you accountable, and moves you along to building robots with ease.

May I Get Financial Assistance?

We know that for some the course fees can be alot of money.Unfortunately this course isn't subsidized by a university or government and so we cannot give out free or discounted lessons.If you would like to sponsor some seats for disadvantaged groups, please contact us at [email protected]

Is this a ROS 1 or ROS 2 Course?

This course will take you through using ROS 2 humble and Gazebo Fortress.
These are Long Term Supported versions of ROS and Gazebo.

Can I use my Mac laptop?

This course is designed for students using a Windows 10 or 11 computer.
Recent chip upgrades that Apple has introduced make things much more difficult.
You can still run the course inside a Virtual machine, but I won't be able to give you any support getting it to work.

I have a corporate PC, can I do this course?

You will need the most recent Windows updates and be able to run WSLv2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), as well as install programs. You should ask your IT team for admin access, or use your own personal laptop if you can.

Can I do this course on Ubuntu? Do I still need Docker?

Yes you can do it on Ubuntu.
We still recommend that you run it inside of Docker as it will reduce the complexity greatly. You'll spend less time focused on Linux system admin, and more time focused on doing robotics if you run inside docker.

What kind of computer do I need?

Ideally an intel or AMD CPU, running an updated Windows 11 with an Nvidia GPU and at least 16 GB of RAM.
You will also need about 30+ GB of free hard drive space available.

I'm worried I'll get busy during the course, how long will I have access to the material?

Don't worry, you'll have access to the course materials after the course finishes.
There is no end date when it is scheduled to disappear! All the videos are hosted as unlisted videos on YouTube. This means that even if the site goes down you will still be able to access the recordings if you have the link.
Also if you find that you unexpectedly become too busy to do the course, you can apply to be rolled over into the next cohort free of charge.

Will my boss be upset to see that I'm posting about robotics?

Don't worry, this a common fear beginners have.
Fear not, it's unlikely that you're boss will be worried about your posts on robotics, especially if you don't do robotics as part of your job right now.You might even convince them that it is a good for them as you will be gaining a new and valuable skill that you could apply to help the company.

Do I need to buy a robot for this course or is it simulation only?

This challenge is simulation only, you won't need to buy a robot.
However, it does discuss what parts of this system will be transferable to a real robot (ans: most of it) and what extra things you will need to do if you want to build a real robot using ROS.

But I want to build a robot anyway, what do you suggest?

We're looking into some simple and cheap robots designed for robotics learning to recommend along with the challenge. Chat with John in the discord to find out what robots are currently being considered.