ROS2
Enables AI tools to interact with ROS2 robotics systems through natural language commands. Supports topic publishing/subscribing, service calls, message analysis, and auto-discovery of ROS2 interfaces for debugging and controlling robots.
What is ROS2?
ROS2 is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables ai tools to interact with ros2 robotics systems through natural language commands. supports topic publishing/subscribing, service calls, message analysis, and auto-discovery of ros2 interfaces...
Enables AI tools to interact with ROS2 robotics systems through natural language commands. Supports topic publishing/subscribing, service calls, message analysis, and auto-discovery of ROS2 interfaces for debugging and controlling robots.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables AI tools to interact with ROS2 robotics systems thro
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx ros2-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use ROS2
The ROS2 MCP Server gives AI assistants like Claude direct control over ROS2 robotic systems through a simple natural-language interface. It currently exposes a move_robot tool that publishes geometry_msgs/Twist messages to the /cmd_vel topic, letting you drive a robot forward, rotate it, or stop it by describing the motion in plain English. Engineers use it to prototype robot behaviours, run quick teleoperation tests, and debug motion control without writing custom ROS2 publisher scripts.
Prerequisites
- ROS2 Humble installed and sourced (source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash)
- Python 3.10 (the version shipped with ROS2 Humble on Ubuntu 22.04)
- The uv package manager installed
- A running ROS2 robot or simulator (e.g. Gazebo or a real robot with a /cmd_vel subscriber)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cline
Source ROS2 and clone the repository
Source your ROS2 Humble installation, then clone the ros2-mcp-server repository to a convenient location.
source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
git clone https://github.com/kakimochi/ros2-mcp-server.git
cd ros2-mcp-serverCreate a virtual environment with the ROS2 Python interpreter
Use uv to create a venv pinned to Python 3.10, which matches the ROS2 Humble system Python and ensures rclpy is importable.
uv venv --python /usr/bin/python3.10
source .venv/bin/activateInstall the package
Install ros2-mcp-server and its dependencies in editable mode using uv pip.
uv pip install -e .Set the ROS log directory
Export ROS_LOG_DIR to a writable path to prevent log permission errors when the MCP server starts.
export ROS_LOG_DIR=/tmpConfigure the MCP client
Add the server to your Claude Desktop or Cline config, pointing to the uv binary and the repository path. Replace /path/to/ros2-mcp-server with the actual location.
ROS2 Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for ros2-mcp-server using uv to run the server inside the project's virtual environment.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ros2": {
"command": "/path/to/ros2-mcp-server/.venv/bin/uv",
"args": [
"run",
"--python", "/usr/bin/python3.10",
"mcp", "run", "/path/to/ros2-mcp-server/src/ros2_mcp_server/server.py"
],
"env": {
"ROS_LOG_DIR": "/tmp"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example natural-language prompts for controlling a ROS2 robot via Claude.
- "Make the robot move forward at 0.2 m/s for 5 seconds"
- "Rotate the robot clockwise at 0.5 rad/s for 3 seconds"
- "Stop the robot immediately"
- "Move the robot forward at 0.1 m/s while turning left at 0.3 rad/s for 4 seconds"Troubleshooting ROS2
ImportError: cannot import name 'rclpy'
The virtual environment must use the ROS2 system Python. Recreate it with 'uv venv --python /usr/bin/python3.10' and ensure you sourced /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash before creating the venv.
Robot does not move after the move_robot tool is called
Verify a node is subscribed to /cmd_vel with 'ros2 topic echo /cmd_vel'. If nothing appears, check that your robot's base controller or Gazebo simulation is running and listening on that topic.
MCP server times out on startup in the client
ROS2 node initialisation can take a few seconds. Set the MCP client timeout to at least 60 seconds. In Cline, add 'timeout: 60000' to the server config block.
Frequently Asked Questions about ROS2
What is ROS2?
ROS2 is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables ai tools to interact with ros2 robotics systems through natural language commands. supports topic publishing/subscribing, service calls, message analysis, and auto-discovery of ros2 interfaces for debugging and controlling robots. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install ROS2?
Follow the installation instructions on the ROS2 GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with ROS2?
ROS2 works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is ROS2 free to use?
Yes, ROS2 is open source and available under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
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