Re: "A Gentle Introduction to ROS" update for ROS2?

[James H Phelan]

Jason,

Thanks for the prompt reply.  We'll give it a try and, of course, give you credit for the original.

We have been astonished how well AI can update code and summarize email threads.

But I've found it terrible troubleshooting error messages in the latest versions as its knowledge base is often years old.

BTW, although HBRC is in Silicon Valley, I'm in Houston (Humble actually) and my in-laws are serious Aggies (are there any other kind?).  One is currently in the Corps.  Maybe we can cross paths sometime.

Jim

James H Phelan
"Nihil est sine ratione cur potius sit quam non sit"
Leibniz

On 11/20/2025 10:13 PM, Jason O'Kane wrote:

Hi James,

Totally agree that the book is badly in need of a refresh.  I've spent a little time getting started on that, but it's nowhere near complete and definitely won't be any time soon.

As for an AI update, that's an interesting idea, but not one that I would be super optimistic about just yet.  The parts that seemed to make the book so helpful originally are precisely the things that didn't seem to be documented or discussed well online, where the right answer is fairly subtle.  But maybe I'm wrong and just too cautious.

In any case, you should try it out!  I wonder, for example, if prompting just from the table of contents, rather than the actual text, would give good results.

My only requests are that, if you post the results on the web, just label clearly that it's an AI update / reinterpretation / upgrade / whatever, and send me a link so I can see how it turned out!

--
Jason O'Kane
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
Texas A&M University

On Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 9:55 PM James H Phelan <jhph...@hal-pc.org> wrote:

Jason, The Homebrew Robotics Club (HBRC) in Silicon Valley w/ national and world-wide membership: https: //www. hbrobotics. org/ has a ROS discussion group on Tue evenings and an AI discussion group on Thursday evenings. Recently a comment in the

ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStart

This Message Is From an External Sender

This message came from outside your organization.

 

ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerEnd

Jason,

The Homebrew Robotics Club (HBRC) in Silicon Valley w/ national and world-wide membership:

https://www.hbrobotics.org/

has a ROS discussion group on Tue evenings and an AI discussion group on Thursday evenings.

Recently a comment in the mailing list about frustrations with launch files and ROS2 in general got a HUGE response and brought up the notion of writing a guide to ROS2.  One member said they thought "A Gentle Introduction to ROS" spoke to them.  Unfortunately, ROS2 is so different that it no longer applies.

We were thinking about asking an AI (Chat-GPT or such) to update it to ROS2.  But we thought we should ask you first if 1) you wanted to do it yourself or 2) you would give us permission to give it a try?

Jim Phelan

-- 
James H Phelan
"Nihil est sine ratione cur potius sit quam non sit"
Leibniz