ROS 1 vs ROS 2 overview

Introduction

ROS 1 and ROS 2 are tools that help robots talk to each other and work together. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right one for your robot projects.

You want to build a simple robot project with many existing tutorials.

You need advanced features like real-time control or better security.

You want to use the latest tools and support for new robot hardware.

You are working on a project that needs to run on multiple computers safely.

You want to upgrade an old robot system to a newer, more flexible one.

Syntax

ROS

ROS 1 and ROS 2 are not code syntax but different versions of the Robot Operating System framework.

ROS 1 uses a centralized master node to manage communication.

ROS 2 uses a decentralized system based on DDS for better performance and flexibility.

Examples

In ROS 1, you start a central master with roscore before running nodes.

ROS

# ROS 1 example: Starting a talker node
roscore
rosrun beginner_tutorials talker.py

In ROS 2, no separate master is needed; nodes communicate directly.

ROS

# ROS 2 example: Starting a talker node
ros2 run demo_nodes_cpp talker

Sample Program

This ROS 1 node sends a message every second to the 'chatter' topic.

ROS

# ROS 1 talker node in Python
import rospy
from std_msgs.msg import String

def talker():
    rospy.init_node('talker', anonymous=True)
    pub = rospy.Publisher('chatter', String, queue_size=10)
    rate = rospy.Rate(1) # 1hz
    while not rospy.is_shutdown():
        hello_str = "hello world"
        rospy.loginfo(hello_str)
        pub.publish(hello_str)
        rate.sleep()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    try:
        talker()
    except rospy.ROSInterruptException:
        pass

Important Notes

ROS 2 improves on ROS 1 by removing the single point of failure (the master node).

ROS 2 supports multiple platforms like Windows and real-time systems better than ROS 1.

Many ROS 1 packages are not directly compatible with ROS 2 and may need porting.

Summary

ROS 1 is older and simpler but has limitations in scalability and real-time support.

ROS 2 is newer, more flexible, and designed for modern robot needs.

Choosing between them depends on your project requirements and hardware.

Practice

1. Which statement best describes the main difference between ROS 1 and ROS 2?

easy

A. ROS 1 is older and simpler, while ROS 2 supports real-time and better scalability.

B. ROS 1 supports real-time better than ROS 2.

C. ROS 2 is older and less flexible than ROS 1.

D. ROS 1 and ROS 2 have the same features and design.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand ROS 1 characteristics

   ROS 1 is the original version, simpler but limited in real-time and scalability.

2. Step 2: Understand ROS 2 improvements

   ROS 2 was designed to fix these limits, adding real-time support and better scalability.

3. Final Answer:

   ROS 1 is older and simpler, while ROS 2 supports real-time and better scalability. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   ROS 1 simpler, ROS 2 modern and scalable = A [OK]

Hint: Remember ROS 2 is the newer, more advanced version [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking ROS 2 is older than ROS 1
• Believing ROS 1 has better real-time support
• Assuming both versions have identical features

2. Which of the following is a correct way to describe ROS 2's communication middleware?

easy

A. ROS 2 does not support middleware communication.

B. ROS 2 uses DDS (Data Distribution Service) for flexible communication.

C. ROS 2 uses TCP only for all communication.

D. ROS 2 uses HTTP protocol for message passing.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify ROS 2 communication method

   ROS 2 uses DDS, a middleware standard, for flexible and scalable communication.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   TCP only or HTTP are not used as the main middleware in ROS 2.

3. Final Answer:

   ROS 2 uses DDS (Data Distribution Service) for flexible communication. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   ROS 2 middleware = DDS [OK]

Hint: DDS is the key middleware in ROS 2 communication [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing TCP with DDS
• Thinking ROS 2 lacks middleware
• Assuming HTTP is used for ROS 2 messages

3. Consider this code snippet in ROS 1 and ROS 2:

node = Node('example_node')
node.create_publisher(String, 'topic', 10)

What is a key difference in how this code behaves in ROS 1 vs ROS 2?

medium

A. ROS 2 does not support publishers.

B. ROS 1 uses create_publisher with QoS settings; ROS 2 ignores QoS.

C. Both ROS 1 and ROS 2 use create_publisher identically.

D. ROS 1 does not support create_publisher method; ROS 2 does.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check ROS 1 publisher creation

   ROS 1 uses rospy.Publisher or roscpp::Publisher, not create_publisher.

2. Step 2: Check ROS 2 publisher creation

   ROS 2 uses create_publisher with QoS settings for flexible communication.

3. Final Answer:

   ROS 1 does not support create_publisher method; ROS 2 does. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   ROS 2 uses create_publisher, ROS 1 does not [OK]

Hint: Remember ROS 2 introduced create_publisher method [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming ROS 1 has create_publisher method
• Thinking QoS is ignored in ROS 2
• Believing ROS 2 lacks publisher support

4. You try to run a ROS 2 node but get an error about missing rclcpp::init. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The error means your topic name is invalid.

B. ROS 1 nodes require rclcpp::init but ROS 2 does not.

C. You forgot to initialize the ROS 2 client library before creating nodes.

D. You used ROS 1 syntax in a ROS 2 project.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand ROS 2 initialization

   ROS 2 requires calling rclcpp::init before creating nodes to set up communication.

2. Step 2: Check error cause

   Missing rclcpp::init causes runtime errors when nodes try to start.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to initialize the ROS 2 client library before creating nodes. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Missing rclcpp::init means no ROS 2 initialization [OK]

Hint: Always call rclcpp::init before node creation in ROS 2 [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing ROS 1 and ROS 2 initialization steps
• Assuming topic name causes this error
• Ignoring the need for client library init

5. You want to build a robot system that requires real-time control and works on multiple platforms including Windows and Linux. Which ROS version should you choose and why?

hard

A. Choose ROS 2 because it supports real-time control and multi-platform compatibility.

B. Choose ROS 1 because it is simpler and supports all platforms equally.

C. Choose ROS 1 because ROS 2 does not support Windows.

D. Choose ROS 2 but only if you use Linux, not Windows.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify real-time and platform needs

   The project needs real-time control and multi-platform support including Windows and Linux.

2. Step 2: Match requirements to ROS versions

   ROS 2 supports real-time features and runs on Windows and Linux, unlike ROS 1 which is limited.

3. Final Answer:

   Choose ROS 2 because it supports real-time control and multi-platform compatibility. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Real-time + multi-platform = ROS 2 [OK]

Hint: ROS 2 is designed for real-time and multi-platform use [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming ROS 1 supports Windows well
• Thinking ROS 2 lacks real-time features
• Believing ROS 2 only works on Linux