Recent Updates

ROSCon UK 2025

Edinburgh

15 - 17 September

ROSCon UK 2025


ROSCon UK 2025 will be held at the University of Edinburgh, Informatics Forum on 15 - 17 September, 2025. ROSCon UK 2025 is a chance for ROS developers of all levels, beginner to expert, to spend an extraordinary 3 days learning from and networking with the ROS community of the UK in Edinburgh. Get tips and tricks from experts and meet and share ideas with fellow developers.

ROSCon UK is a developers conference. The programme will comprise a mixture of networking and social events, workshops, technical talks, and tutorials that will introduce you to new tools and libraries, as well as teach you more about the ones you already know. The bulk of the programme will be focusing on contributions from the United Kingdom.

We aim for ROSCon UK to represent the entire ROS community in the UK. Whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you do it, if you are interested in ROS, then we want you to join us at ROSCon UK. We encourage women, members of minority groups, and members of other under-represented groups to attend ROSCon UK. We expect all attendees to follow our code of conduct.

If you have questions, concerns, or ideas for ROSCon UK 2025, please contact the executive committee.

We also welcome suggestions for what else we can do to encourage more participation. Contact us if you have ideas that you would like to share.

Dates

ROSCon UK 2025 Key Dates


Call for Proposals circulated

14 April 2025


Talk and workshop proposal submission deadline

26 May 2025 9 June 2025 (extended deadline)


Lightning talk submission deadline

10 June 2025


Proposal acceptance notification

20 June 2025


Sponsors

Sponsors


Platinum

Gold

Sponsor ROSCon UK 2025!

Thank you for your interest in sponsoring ROSCon UK 2025! While we have now closed sponsorship opportunities for this year’s event, we would love to hear from you about potential partnership opportunities for future ROSCon events.

Our sponsorship prospectus provides details about the sponsorship benefits we typically offer, which can give you a sense of how we structure our partnerships.

If you’re interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities for next year’s event or have questions about our sponsorship programme, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the executive committee. We’d be happy to discuss how we can work together to support the ROS community in the UK.

Attend

ROSCon UK Registration

Space at ROSCon UK is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend registering as soon as possible due to high interest in the conference. Workshop seating is limited and allocation will be determined based on preference post-registration. Early registration fees are discounted and will be available until 1st of August. Late registration is open until 1st of September.

Registration & Pricing

Tickets numbers are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

REGISTRATION INCLUDES: Access to tours & demos, workshops, conference sessions, networking sessions, and the exhibit hall along with lunch, refreshment breaks, and the gala dinner over the main conference dates of 15 - 17 September.

WORKSHOP ALLOCATION: We will do our best to accommodate everyone but room and space availability is limited. You will be contacted to fill out a survey of workshop preferences after registration. We will then share your workshop allocation closer to the conference. Either way, it will be a lot of fun and learning!

Registration Type Regular Late
Professional ÂŁ300 ÂŁ350
Student ÂŁ100 ÂŁ130

Refunds and substitutions

For any registration queries, please contact rosconuk25registration@ed.ac.uk.

Location

Venue

ROSCon UK 2025 will be held in Edinburgh, a city renowned for its beauty, history, and technology.

Edinburgh is a popular destination for conferences, and the dates for ROSCon UK 2025 are likely to be favourable to attendees who are keen to take in all the city has to offer.

Edinburgh is an accessible, modern city, boasting an airport, train station, and bus station. Travellers can take advantage of the efficient and reliable bus and tram system for travel throughout the city.

ROSCon UK 2025 is to be hosted at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, a renowned institution consistently ranked amongst the top subject rankings in the world. The Informatics Forum is an ideal venue for interdisciplinary conferences at the heart of Edinburgh.

ROSCon UK 2025 is hosted by The National Robotarium, the UK’s premier centre for robotics and artificial intelligence innovation. Based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, it supports cutting-edge research, start-up incubation, and collaborative industry partnerships, driving technological progress across various sectors.


Travel to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is well-connected to the rest of the UK through two main transportation hubs:

🚆 By Train - Edinburgh Waverley Station Edinburgh Waverley Station is the main railway station, located in the heart of the city center. It provides excellent connections throughout the UK.

Key rail connections:

  • From London: Direct services via East Coast Main Line (4.5 hours)
  • From Manchester: Direct services (3.5 hours)
  • From Birmingham: Direct services (4.5 hours)
  • From Bristol: Via Birmingham (6 hours)
  • From Glasgow: Frequent services (1 hour)
  • From Newcastle: Direct services (1.5 hours)

The station is centrally located and within walking distance of the venue (approx 14 minutes) and accommodations.

✈️ By Air - Edinburgh Airport (EDI) Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport, located 13km west of the city center. It offers direct flights from major UK cities as well as European ones.

Transportation from Edinburgh Airport:

  • Airlink 100 Bus
    • Time: 30-35 minutes to city center
    • Cost: ÂŁ4.50 single, ÂŁ7.50 return
    • Runs every 10 minutes during peak hours
    • Direct service to Waverley Bridge (city center)
  • Tram
    • Time: 35 minutes to city center
    • Cost: ÂŁ6.50 single, ÂŁ9.50 return
    • Runs every 8-12 minutes
    • Direct service to Princes Street
  • Taxi or Private Car
    • Ride sharing apps include Uber and local taxis
    • Time: 25-30 minutes
    • Cost: ÂŁ25-35


Hotel Information

UoE Collection Accommodation ROSCon UK 2025 has partnered up with the UoE Collection and is happy to offer accommodation options at a discount for the duration of the conference. Discount codes are provided in the registration confirmation email, first come first served, and only apply for 15-17th of September. Booking link: https://www.book.accom.ed.ac.uk

  • KM Hotel (ÂŁ195 per person per night) - 6 minute walk to venue
  • KM Apartments (ÂŁ215 per person per night) - 6 minute walk to venue
  • The Scott (ÂŁ295 per person per night) - 7 minute bus ride to venue

Additional Accommodation Options For alternative accommodation, you can also search on Booking.com and Airbnb for additional options in Edinburgh.

Programme

Tours & Demos - Monday, September 15, 2025

Time Group 1 Group 2
8:30AM Informatics Atrium:
Tea & Coffee + Registration
9:00AM Informatics Front Entrance:
Shuttle to National Robotarium
Informatics Atrium:
Tours & Demos

Volunteers will guide the group from the Atrium.
11:30AM
Return from National Robotarium
1:00PM Informatics Atrium:
Tours & Demos

Volunteers will guide the group from the Atrium.
Informatics Front Entrance:
Shuttle to National Robotarium
3:30PM
Return from National Robotarium

events map


Workshops - Tuesday, September 16, 2025


TimeRoomSession
8:30-9:30Informatics Atrium
☕ Tea & Coffee + Registration
9:30-13:00IF-G.07
State Estimation in ROS 2

Tom Moore -- Locus Robotics

Curious about covariance? Ecstatic about state? Fascinated by filtering? This workshop aims to put the “fun” in fusion by walking users through the ins and outs of working with the most popular state estimation packages in the ROS 2 ecosystem, robot_localization and fuse. Attendees will receive practical advice on the best ways to configure these packages for a number of simulated and real-world applications, from robots operating in a planar environment to robots exploring the depths of the ocean. We’ll also learn how to tailor these packages to new use cases through the use of plugins.
9:30-13:00IF-G.07A
Teaching Robotics with ROS 2: Lessons, Platforms, and Perspectives

Dr. Vijay Pawar -- University College London, Dr. Rafaello Bonghi -- NVIDIA, Prof Sabine Hauert -- University of Bristol, Prof Marc Hanheide -- University of Lincoln, Dr. Maria Koskinopoulou -- Herriot-Watt University, Dr. Alexander Enoch -- Robotical

Teaching robotics with ROS 2 is challenging—complex tooling and steep learning curves often hinder effective learning. This workshop brings together educators, students, and developers to share what works (and what doesn’t) in classrooms, labs, and industry training. We’ll explore tools, hardware, simulation, and real teaching experiences from academia and beyond. Expect lightning talks, demos, and a panel discussion—all aimed at building a more connected, open, and effective ROS 2 education ecosystem. Whether you’re refining your curriculum or simplifying student setups, you’ll leave with ideas, resources, and a supportive community ready to help.
9:30-13:00IF-G.03
ROS 2 Networking Redefined: Deep Dive into RMW Zenoh

Julien Enoch -- ZettaScale Technology

RMW Zenoh has been launched as a Tier 1 solution across all supported ROS 2 distributions, offering an alternative to DDS middlewares. Its deployment and setup differ somewhat from DDS-based RMWs. In this workshop, we will explore these differences and provide comprehensive insights into configuring RMW Zenoh for various scenarios, including intra-robot and extra-robot communications, constrained networks such as WiFi or 4G/5G, Internet connectivity, and leveraging SROS for security measures such as authentication and access control. Participants will gain hands-on experience and leave with a robust understanding of how to implement and optimize RMW Zenoh in their ROS 2 projects. All you need to attend is a laptop with Docker and Visual Studio Code.

🔗 More Information
9:30-13:00BY-G.03
Underwater Robotics with ROS and Stonefish: Simulate, Explore!

Michele Grimaldi, Simon Archieri, Dr. Markus Buchholz -- Heriot-Watt University, Sebastian Realpe Rua -- University of Girona

Dive into marine robotics with Stonefish, a high-fidelity underwater simulator built for ROS 2. This hands-on workshop introduces key concepts in underwater robotics—vehicle types, sensing, and actuation—followed by live demos and a guided challenge using Stonefish. Attendees will simulate surface or underwater vehicles (e.g., BlueROV2), execute navigation tasks, and optionally reconstruct a 3D map from collected data. Designed for roboticists and researchers eager to explore underwater autonomy, perception, and control in a realistic simulation environment. This follows, the ICRA 2025 workshop AQ²UASIM: Advancing Quantitative and QUAlitative SIMulators for marine applications, https://sites.google.com/view/aq2uasim/home, where the authors and colleagues developing other simulators aimed to familiarize participants with existing simulators and explore areas for future research and development to enhance these tools, ensuring they better meet the evolving needs of industry and academia.
14:30-18:00IF-G.07
ros2_control: Writing Custom Robot Drivers

Dr. Bence Magyar -- Locus Robotics

ros2_control is a hardware-agnostic control framework for abstracting hardware and low-level control for 3rd party solutions like `MoveIt2` and `Nav2` systems. This workshop provides a practical deep dive into writing robot drivers with ros2_control. You will be introduced to hands-on integration of an embedded board that implements a differential drive robot. Additionally, we'll demonstrate examples from different domains and best practices for using ros2_control for ease of use, increased flexibility and robustness.

🔗 More Information
14:30-18:00IF-G.07A
Open-Source Tool for the Simulation and Control of any Robot Arm in ROS 2

Mr. Mikel Bueno Viso, Dr. Seemal Asif -- Cranfield University

This hands-on workshop introduces a modular ROS 2 framework developed by IFRA-Cranfield for simulating and controlling robot manipulators in both virtual and real environments. The framework combines Gazebo, MoveIt!2, and ROS 2-based tools to support streamlined design, deployment, and execution of robotic tasks. Participants will learn to configure custom robot workcells, execute robot movements, monitor system state, and integrate external software tools using ROS 2. Ideal for researchers, academics, and robotics engineers, the workshop offers a standardised and reusable platform for teaching, testing, research, and rapid prototyping of robotic applications.
14:30-18:00IF-G.03
ROS-2-ARGoS Bridge: Scalable Simulations of Swarms of 1000 and More Robots

Sindiso Mkhatshwa -- University of Konstanz

Simulations are critical in the design and implementation of robotic systems prior to their real-world deployment. For large-scale robotic systems, simulation scalability—that is, the efficient simulation of many robots—is essential. However, ROS-based simulators are unable to scale to large numbers of robots, while highly scalable simulators do not integrate with the ROS ecosystem. This workshop will teach you how to utilize the ROS-2-ARGoS Bridge, a framework for simulating large-scale robotic systems running ROS 2-based software, for simulating large-scale robotic systems running ROS 2-based software. We will also run simulations with varying population sizes to demonstrate the scalability of the framework. Finally, we will explore how to extend the framework by adding new robot models.

🔗 More Information
14:30-18:00BY-G.03
Deploy, Update, Repeat: Scalable Robot Management with containers

Martin Eskdale Moen -- Dexory

This workshop covers using containers to deploy and manage ROS2 software on robot fleets. We'll start with the basics, creating containers that run ROS2 applications, then move to docker-compose for managing multiple containers together. From there, we'll cover fleet orchestration using Balena. I'll show you how to set up your first fleet, deploy applications across multiple robots, and manage updates at scale. Attendees will leave with working examples and practical knowledge of how to deploy changes at scale and not be scared.


Talks - Wednesday, September 17, 2025


TimeRoomSession
8:30-9:30Informatics Atrium
☕ Tea & Coffee Breakfast + Registration
9:30-9:45IF-G.07
Conference Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:45-10:30IF-G.07
🎤 The history of ROS, its current potential, and the interface between industry and academia

Dr. Steve Cousins -- Stanford Robotics Center
10:30-11:00IF-G.07
Lightning talks 1

Rapid-fire session of 10 2-minute talks
11:00-11:30Informatics Atrium
☕ Tea & Coffee Morning Break
11:30-11:45IF-G.07
It's Not Just for Prototyping: How Locus Built a Global Fleet with ROS

Tom Moore -- Locus Robotics

We've all heard the familiar refrain: ROS is great for prototyping, but not for production systems. After more than 5 billion picks, 500 million hours of operation, and hundreds of millions of kilometres traveled across hundreds of customer sites worldwide, we believe that this myth has been well and truly put to bed. This talk will delve into our journey from early stage startup to industry leader, focusing largely on how we adapted ROS to suit the needs of commercial environments.
11:45-12:00IF-G.07
Leveraging ROS2 for advanced In-Orbit space robotics validation.

Ollie Knappett -- Satellite Applications Catapult

The In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) facility, managed by the Satellite Applications Catapult in Buckinghamshire, leverages ROS2 to emulate complex satellite Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) here on Earth, addressing the increasingly challenging area of space sustainability. By integrating ROS2 with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) systems and NVIDIA IsaacSim, the facility recreates realistic micro-gravity orbital environments for testing spacecraft interactions. This talk will present how ROS2’s modular architecture enables coordination between multiple physical and virtual systems, enabling a state-of-the-art facility and accelerating the UK’s capabilities in space robotics.
12:00-12:15IF-G.07
Modular Onboard Control System for Autonomous Marine Robots

Seamus McGinley -- National Oceanography Centre

All autonomous marine vehicles developed by the National Oceanography Centre utilise the ROS-based Onboard Control System (OCS). The OCS is a cross-platform autonomy and control system built from the ground up to allow for ease-of-development, modularity and reliability. This talk will cover the OCS implementation allowing for autonomous operation of a suite of different aquatic vehicles, varying not only in payload and actuators, but vehicle types and operational domains. Learn how the OCS has allowed research of the ocean depths in ways previously impossible and how the same principles can be applied to your own ROS autonomy and control systems.
12:15-12:30IF-G.07
ROS Enabled Non-Destructive Testing for Aerospace Manufacturing

Matthew Shields -- University of Strathclyde

Robotic non-destructive testing (NDT) of large-scale aerospace structures is a bottle-neck for manufacturing due to components having to be transported to a dedicated robotic NDT cell, precisely fixtured and, in lieu of a track, moved during the NDT process due to fixed manipulator reach constraints. We present a ROS enabled, flexible mobile manipulator solution to overcome these issues and facilitate inspection at earlier stages of manufacture, when corrective action of faults is easier to implement. The solution is shown to deliver both eddy current and ultrasonic arrays to aluminium fuselage and carbon fibre wing cover sections respectively.

🔗 More Information
12:30-12:45IF-G.07
Intelligent IV Bag Inspection with Continuous Learning ROS2-Based Architecture

Dr. Ulises Tronco Jurado, Dr. Uriel Martinez-Hernandez -- University of Bath

This proposal presents a novel IV bag quality control approach integrating ROS2-based automation with adaptive learning capabilities. The system combines real-time inspection with continuous system improvement, achieving 94.3% accuracy in detecting microscopic contaminants (0.1-5mm). The architecture features four key components: Input Management, Vision Inspection, Quality Control, and Output Management systems, all enhanced by an adaptive learning framework. This innovative solution addresses critical safety concerns in pharmaceutical manufacturing while demonstrating the practical application of ROS2 in industrial settings. The system's modular design and open-source nature make it adaptable to various manufacturing environments and accessible to developers worldwide.

🔗 More Information
12:45-13:00Informatics Atrium
☕ Group Photo
13:00-14:30Informatics Atrium + Cafe
☕ Lunch: Nourish Bowl
14:30-15:00IF-G.07
🎤 How to scale - From Prototype to Production: Challenges, Learnings, Wins

Dr. Marcus Scheunemann, Dr. Guillaume Doisy -- Dexory
15:15-15:30IF-G.07
Introducing rclrs: the official ROS 2 client library for Rust

Esteve Fernandez

Rust offers many advantages for robotics. One key benefit is its memory safety, which helps prevent critical bugs in complex systems. Additionally, its high performance is essential for real-time applications, while safe concurrency allows for efficient parallel processing, crucial for multi-core robotic systems. This talk will present rclrs, the Rust client library for ROS 2, and its accompanying tooling. rclrs is being developed in the open by a community of Rust and ROS enthusiasts. Support for Rust is now part of ROS 2 rolling and will be shipped in the next ROS 2 releases.

🔗 More Information
15:30-15:45IF-G.07
Unlocking ROS2 C++ APIs in Python with rclcppyy

Dr. Sammy Pfeiffer -- Wayve

rclcppyy is an open-source project that uses cppyy to provide automatic, runtime access to ROS2’s C++ APIs directly from Python—without writing bindings or compiling. This talk presents how rclcppyy enables high-performance pub/sub, direct use of rclcpp, and future support for Nav2, MoveIt2, and ROS Control. Benchmarks show significant CPU savings over rclpy, enabling Python to be both productive and performant. Perfect for those who prototype in Python but need C++ power.

🔗 More Information
15:45-16:00IF-G.07
ROS taking Flight: more Adventures in Aerial Robotics

Kimberly McGuire -- Independent Roboticist, Ramon Roche -- Dronecode Foundation

Developing aerial vehicles presents unique challenges compared to ground robots or manipulators. ROS and simulation are essential tools for this. However, the large increase in UAV autonomy packages, hardware, and simulators makes it difficult for robotics developers to know where to start. This talk will give an up-to-date overview of the most trusted and well-maintained ROS-based autonomy packages, hardware, and simulators. We will guide developers through these proven solutions and also cover promising new technology we're actively watching, all to improve the aerial vehicle development experience.

🔗 More Information
16:00-16:30Informatics Atrium
☕ Tea & Coffee Afternoon Break
16:30-16:45IF-G.07
Open source hardware robotics and the ROS ecosystem

Dr. Charles Fox -- University of Lincoln

While open source software is now well established in robotics, open source hardware is a developing field, with multiple current ideas around licences, standards, and quality control. This talk will report back to the larger community on the discussions from our Workshop on this topic. The workshop first brings together the OSH robotics community to share their current designs, then uses them as case studies to discuss current issues in OSS robotics, including standardisation of components and platforms; definitions of openness such as requirements for open subcomponents and tooling; and requirements for quality of build processes, instructions and testing.
16:45-17:00IF-G.07
AICOR Virtual Research Building: Collaborative Robotics in the Cloud

Prof. Michael Beetz -- University of Bremen

This talk presents the AICOR Virtual Research Building (VRB), an open, cloud-based digital ecosystem for robotics research and education fully running on ROS. Designed to support the entire lifecycle of cognition-enabled robot development, the VRB empowers researchers, developers, and educators to conduct reproducible science, build, test and showcase intelligent robots, and deliver inclusive robotics education globally. We will demonstrate how VRB fosters collaboration, accessibility, and innovation through open infrastructures and immersive tools integrated with ROS.

🔗 More Information
17:00-17:15IF-G.07
Scaling Digital Twins with ROS 2 & NVIDIA Isaac Sim: Lessons from the Trenches

Rahul R. Ramachandran -- The National Robotarium

This talk is for anyone interested in integrating ROS 2 with NVIDIA Isaac Sim to build scalable digital twins and modular workflows for testing and validating multiple robotic systems in parallel - paving the way for efficient Sim2Real deployment. Attendees will gain insights into how we developed a digital twin of our cobot stations, along with key lessons learned from real-world testing, validation, and Sim2Real implementation.
17:15-17:45IF-G.07
Lightning talks 2

Rapid-fire session of 10 2-minute talks
Organisation

Organizing Committee


General Chair

Ingo Keller

Dr. Ingo Keller
Head of Robotics - The National Robotarium,
Member - Tartan Robotics Collective


Programme Committee

Sabine Hauert

Prof. Dr. Sabine Hauert
Programme Chair,
Professor of Swarm Engineering - University of Bristol,
Board of Directors - Open Source Robotics Foundation

Hugo Sardinha

Dr. Hugo Sardinha
Publicity Chair,
Senior Software Engineer - Launchpad Build


Organising Committee Members

Alejandro Bordallo

Dr. Alejandro Bordallo
Senior Robotics Engineer & Scientist - University of Edinburgh,
Member - Tartan Robotics Collective

Bence Magyar

Dr. Bence Magyar
Principal Software Engineer - Locus Robotics,
Member - Tartan Robotics Collective

Tom Moore

Tom Moore
VP of Robotics Software - Locus Robotics,
Member - Tartan Robotics Collective

Vladimir Ivan

Dr. Vladimir Ivan
VP of Robotics - Touchlab,
Member - Tartan Robotics Collective


Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to accept the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

The Quick Version

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organisers.

The Less Quick Version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they’ll be wearing badges as well as there will be staff at the registration desk.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.

Archive

Past ROSCon events

Even though this is the very first ROSCon UK, ROSCon is not a new conference. There has been an international ROSCon held annually since 2012.

If you’d like to know more we have archives of all the past programmes with recordings of the talks and most of the slides. The sites can be found at the locations below.

Social Media

ROSCon UK 2025