zurück zur Hilfsnavigation

ROS Summer School

Our first ROS Summer School in 2012 showed that many students are interested in mobile autonomous systems but don't know how to get started. Our ROS Summer Schools, together with our robot hardware and - of course - the ROS software, offer the right starting package. We start with some introductory courses before tackling the main tasks of mobile robotics, i.e. perception, localisation, mapping and path planning.

Our philosophy is: "Learning by doing to gain practical experience". In addition to acquiring the necessary theoretical knowledge, all topics are taught in small groups using real mobile robots.

A highlight is a competition (Urban Challenge) at the end of the summer school: the participants form different teams that have the task of designing a typical mobile robot application, e.g. for exploring indoor and outdoor areas. They all use the same hardware, which they operate using the ROS skills they have learnt.

The ROS Summer School also includes some leisure activities, such as a guided tour of the old imperial city of Aachen, barbecues and city trips (either to Paris, Cologne, Maastricht or other nearby cities).

The ROS Summer School is supported by the ROSIN project of the European Commission (http: //wiki.ros.org/rosin/acknowledgement) and is listed on the plattform Summer Schools in Europe.

Why ROS?

Remarkable progress has been made in the field of mobile robotics in recent years thanks to advanced hardware such as 3D sensors and powerful embedded systems for processing. But software has also evolved: When Willow Garage launched the first version of ROS (Robot Operating System) in 2010, a standardisation of the "middleware" that drives the world of mobile robotics began. ROS is open source and provides the necessary services of an operating system. It is fine-grained and consists of numerous reusable modules. It also provides tools and libraries for sourcing, creating, writing and running code on multiple computers with a powerful communication engine.

The next ROS Summer School: 07.09.2026 to 18.09.2026

ROS - Programme

show details

The ROS Summer School(here the general flyer), will take place from 07-18 September 2026.

The ROS Summer School deals with general topics of mobile robotics:

Introduction to mobile robotics
ROS file system
ROS communication
Hardware and sensors
ROSSerial
Transformations in ROS
Image processing with OpenCV & ROS
Landmark recognition
Localisation, mapping and SLAM
Path planning

The participants will use the middleware ROS (Robot Operating System) as an operating system for robots. In addition to learning the theory, all topics will be tested in small groups on real hardware with our mobile robots developed at FH Aachen. At the end, the participants will apply their acquired knowledge to solve a secret problem and present their results in a competition.

In our 2-week ROS Summer School we offer a unique experience to learn ROS from scratch or to deepen your advanced ROS knowledge with many seminars, workshops and - of course - hands-on programming. The teaching material has been updated to ROS2 during our break to teach the latest ROS versions and use the latest packages such as Nav2 to guide our TurtleBots through the arena. We hope that again many ROS enthusiasts will participate in the ROS Summer School!!!

Here is the programme:
07 September | Registration, ROS Show, Welcome BBQ
08 September | ROS2 Basics: Navigating in Linux and ROS2 File System
09 September | ROS2 Basics: ROS2 Internal Communication
10 September | Hardware Interfaces, Transfers, ROS2 Internal Communication10. September | Hardware interfaces, transformations in ROS2
11. September | Introduction to the GAZEBO simulator, April tag detection

The registration fee is 500,- € and includes drinks during the coffee breaks and BBQs.

See registration (below). We hope to see you soon here with us in Aachen!

Registration for the ROS Summer School 2026

show details

We are pleased to be able to offer an ROS Summer School again this year. It will take place from 7 to 18 September 2026 in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics at FH Aachen. As the ROS Summer School is a non-profit event, only registrations from students or employees of educational or research institutions can be considered.

If you would like to participate in the ROS Summer School 2026, please register on the Eveeno page at https://eveeno.com/ros-26 (see QR code on the right).

Please note that the application deadline for this year's ROS Summer School is 31 August 2026. Later applications cannot be considered. The application page will be closed after 31 August 2026.

Credit points (credits), ROS certificate and certificate of participation

show details

A certificate of participation is issued to all ROS Summer School participants at the end of the summer school. The certificate lists the mobile robotics topics covered, the duration of the summer school and the total number of credits earned (4 ECTS credits). The credit points only apply to external participants and not to students who have registered for a degree programme at FH Aachen and are accompanying the ROS Summer School as tutors.

ROS participants have the option of taking a written examination at the end of the summer school. You will then receive a grade for the ROS Summer School. If you require not only the credits but also a grade, please answer YES to the question "Do you wish to take the final written exam?" on the application form. Those who take a final written exam will receive an ROS certificate with their grade on it in addition to their certificate of participation. The grading system for awarding the grade is as follows:

from 1.0 to 1.5 = very good
from 1.6 to 2.5 = good
from 2.6 to 3.5 = satisfactory
from 3.6 to 4.0 = sufficient
above 4.0 = failed

Participation requirements

show details

Academic background:
As the ROS Summer School is a non-profit event, we can only accept applications from students or staff members of educational or research institutions. Please provide us with appropriate proof (e.g. a student ID card) on the first day of the ROS Summer School.

Programming skills:
We want summer school participants to make significant and tangible progress in learning and using ROS. Therefore, the practical sessions will take up most of the time of the summer school. Basic knowledge of C++ or Python is recommended to successfully complete the practical exercises. Experience with ROS or Linux is not required.

Laptop:
A computer will be provided for the duration of the summer school. You therefore do not need to bring your personal laptop.

Language skills:
Participants should have good English language skills, as the ROS Summer School will be held entirely in English.

Insurance:
FH Aachen requires that ROS Summer School participants have appropriate and valid health, liability and accident insurance for the duration of the ROS Summer School. Please note that FH Aachen does not cover any of these risks.

German Data Protection Law/Internet & Social Media:
According to German data protection law, you must agree to the following statement before we are allowed to post your picture, including a group photo, on the internet.
"I agree that my picture may be published by FH Aachen on our ROS homepage."
"I agree that my picture of FH Aachen may be published on the following Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fhac08/"

Participation fees and other costs

show details

The registration fee for the ROS Summer School is 500 euros and includes drinks during the course at FH Aachen. The costs for day trips are not included in the fee and will be paid later on site.

Please note that your enrolment is only valid once payment has been made on time. The application procedure is explained on the application form (the link to the application form will be published here on this website in a few days).

Please note that payment can only be made by bank transfer. All payments will be made in EURO. For transfers from outside the Euro zone, you must be aware of the bank charges. All bank charges for bank transfers are to be paid by the participants!

If you are unable to attend the summer school after you have registered or if you cancel your registration, you can apply for a refund of the registration fee. To do so, you must send us a written request by email.

Costs for accommodation and catering

show details

The costs for accommodation and catering are not included in the participation fee. The participation fee only includes drinks and BBQs during the course at FH Aachen.

As the demands on accommodation are as varied as our guests, we recommend that all ROS Summer School participants use the usual booking portals on the Internet to find accommodation to suit their taste and budget. If you have any further questions, please contact the organisers of the ROS Summer School.