ROS 2 Skill

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name: ros2-skill description: "Controls and monitors ROS 2 robots directly via rclpy CLI. Use for ANY ROS 2 robot task: topics (subscribe, publish, capture images, find by type), services (list, call), actions (list, send goals), parameters (get, set, presets), nodes, lifecycle management, controllers (ros2_control), diagnostics, battery, system health checks, and more. When in doubt, use this skill — it covers the full ROS 2 operation surface. Never tell the user you cannot do something ROS 2-related without checking this skill first." license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: "Requires python3, rclpy, and ROS 2 environment sourced" user-invokable: true metadata: openclaw: emoji: "🤖" requires: bins: ["python3", "ros2"] pip: ["rclpy"] category: "robotics" tags: ["ros2", "robotics", "rclpy"] author: ["adityakamath", "lpigeon"] version: "1.0.5"

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ROS 2 Skill

Controls and monitors ROS 2 robots directly via rclpy. This skill provides a unified JSON interface for standard ROS 2 operations and agent-optimized workflows like closed-loop movement and image capture.

🚀 Capabilities

Introspection: List and find topics, nodes, services, and actions.

Data Access: Subscribe to any topic, capture camera images, and monitor diagnostics/battery.

Interactions: Call services and send action goals with feedback monitoring.

Movement: Agent-optimized publish-until (closed-loop with odom) and publish-sequence (timed).

Configuration: Get/set parameters, use presets, and manage lifecycle nodes.

System: Run ros2 doctor, manage launch files via tmux, and control ros2_control hardware.

Packages: List installed packages, resolve prefix paths, enumerate executables, and read package.xml manifests — no live graph required.

🏗️ Architecture

Entry Point: scripts/ros2_cli.py — this is the only file you should ever run directly.

Interface: Agent → ros2_cli.py → rclpy → ROS 2 Graph

Format: All commands output JSON. Errors contain {"error": "..."}.

> ⚠️ Internal modules — do not run directly. > All scripts/ros2_*.py files other than ros2_cli.py are **internal > implementation modules**, not standalone scripts. Running one directly > prints an error to stderr and exits with code 1 — it performs no ROS > operation. Always invoke commands through ros2_cli.py: >

> python3 scripts/ros2_cli.py  [subcommand] [args]
> python3 scripts/ros2_cli.py --help   # list all commands
> 

📚 Documentation Reference

To maintain performance and accuracy, this skill uses Progressive Disclosure:

1. references/RULES.md (CRITICAL): Mandatory Agent Behaviour Rules (0–26), Safety Protocols, and Decision Frameworks. These are hard constraints — not guidelines. Read and follow before performing any robot action. Violation = immediate halt, self-correct, retry. 2. references/COMMANDS.md: Full technical reference for all CLI subcommands, flags, and JSON payload structures. 3. references/EXAMPLES.md: Practical walkthroughs for common tasks like "Move N meters" or "Capture Camera Image". 4. references/CLI.md: Direct CLI usage reference for debugging and development. Not needed during normal agent operation.

🛠️ Setup & Preconditions

1. Source ROS 2

source /opt/ros/${ROS_DISTRO}/setup.bash

2. Verify Connection

Before any operation, verify the ROS 2 environment is active:

python3 scripts/ros2_cli.py version

3. Safety First

Always check for velocity limits and active nodes before issuing movement commands. If a command hangs or the robot moves unsafely, use:

python3 scripts/ros2_cli.py estop