Welcome to the Industrial ROS2 Manipulation Lab

Goal

Understand what this lab is, how it is different from a video course, and what you will be able to do at the end.

What You Will Build

Across the course: a complete vision-guided industrial manipulation application — UR5 + Robotiq gripper + depth camera in simulation, orchestrated by a Behavior Tree — plus the knowledge of how the same architecture runs on a real industrial robot. In this lesson: nothing to build yet; you get the map.

Why This Matters

Companies do not hire people who watched tutorials; they hire people who can run, modify and adapt a robotics application. This lab is one repository you will launch, open, break, fix and extend — and then show as a portfolio project.

Architecture Layer

All of them — this lesson is the overview. The stack you will climb:

Robot Description → Simulation → MoveIt Configuration → Motion Interface
→ Gripper Interface → Perception → Vision-Guided Pick-and-Place
→ Behavior Tree Orchestration → (Module 9) Real Hardware

And the principle you will hear in every module:

If the robot changes, replace the bridge. If the task changes, adapt the application package. If the camera changes, adapt perception and calibration. The engineering method stays the same.

Files You Will Touch

• README.md — read it now
• COURSE_MAP.md — your path from zero to capstone

Files You Should Not Touch Yet

Everything in src/ — you will launch it first (Lesson 8), understand it (Modules 1–4), then modify it (Modules 5+).

Commands

None yet. The first commands arrive in Lesson 5 (Windows) or 6 (Ubuntu).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Read the repository README.md top to bottom (10 minutes).
2. Open COURSE_MAP.md and locate: the module you are in now, and Module 8 (the capstone).
3. Decide your platform: Windows 11 → Lesson 5; Ubuntu 22.04 → Lesson 6.

What You Should See

A clear picture: 10 modules, one growing application, three modes (mock / sim / hardware), and a capstone you will publish.

How to Modify This for Your Own Application

Keep a note file from day one: every time a lesson shows an adaptation pattern ("here is what you would change for another robot/gripper/camera/task"), write down how it applies to your target application. By Module 8 that note file is your capstone plan.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to understand all of src/ before running anything. Don't — run first.
• Skipping the checklists. They are 2 minutes each and catch 90% of setup drift.

Expected Output

No artifact — orientation complete.

Next Step

02_what_problem_this_lab_solves.md