How to Finish Your First ROS 2 Robotics Project Without Giving Up

Starting your first ROS 2 project feels exciting until it doesn’t.
You’ve built a basic Arduino robot, you’re eager to add ROS 2, and then… you drown in tutorials about workspaces, nodes, packages, and endless terminal commands. Weeks later, your robot is still gathering dust.

Here’s the fix: stop trying to build the most advanced robot on day one. Instead, break your project into manageable steps and aim for a simple, working system you can actually finish.

Phase 1: Get the Hardware Right First

Before you touch ROS 2, make sure your robot works on its own. That way, you can separate hardware issues from ROS issues later.

Recommended Setup:

• Chassis: 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive base

• Brain: ESP32 (built-in WiFi for ROS 2 communication)

• Sensor: HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor

• Motor Control: L298N or DRV8833 motor driver

Quick Test:
Write a simple Arduino sketch for the ESP32: drive forward, check distance, stop and turn if an object is closer than 20 cm. If this works, your hardware foundation is ready.

Phase 2: Plan Your ROS 2 System

Before coding, map out your nodes and topics.

Example Architecture for Obstacle Avoidance:

• Sensor Node (ESP32): Publishes ultrasonic distance → /ultrasonic_distance

• Logic Node (PC): Subscribes to sensor data, decides movement, publishes → /cmd_vel

• Motor Node (ESP32): Subscribes to /cmd_vel and drives the motors

This keeps decision-making on the PC and low-level control on the ESP32—making debugging much easier.

Phase 3: Connect ESP32 to ROS 2

Use micro-ROS on the ESP32 to connect it to your ROS 2 network over WiFi.

• Run the micro-ROS Agent on your PC

• Test with:

ros2 topic echo /ultrasonic_distance

If you see numbers, the link works.

Phase 4: Build and Test Step-by-Step

1. Write the Logic Node – Subscribes to /ultrasonic_distance, publishes movement commands to /cmd_vel.

2. Test the Loop – Place your hand in front of the sensor. If the robot reacts, you’ve closed the loop.

3. Add Visualization – Use RViz to display sensor readings so you can debug without guessing.

The Payoff

By following these steps, you end up with:

• A working ROS 2 obstacle-avoiding robot

• A solid understanding of ROS 2 nodes, topics, and micro-ROS

• A process you can reuse for more complex robots

The real win? You actually finish your project instead of abandoning it mid-way.

If you want a structured path from “beginner bot” to “fully autonomous robot,” our Mobile Robotics Engineering course at Robotisim walks you through each stage with curated hardware lists, build guides, and expert feedback.