Speaker
Mr
Manjunath Janardhan
Description
Workshop Overview:
Learn how to create an AI-powered robotics development environment where you can control robots through natural language using Claude Desktop and the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This hands-on workshop covers setup for macOS, Ubuntu, and Windows users.
What You'll Learn:
- Understanding Model Context Protocol (MCP) and its robotics
applications - Setting up ROS environments across different operating systems
- Building and configuring MCP servers for robot control
- Establishing cross-platform communication (VM networking, rosbridge)
- Controlling simulated robots through conversational AI
- Visualizing robot data with modern tools (Foxglove Studio)
Prerequisites:
- Laptop with macOS, Ubuntu, or Windows (8GB RAM minimum, 16GB
recommended) - Basic command-line familiarity
- Interest in robotics and AI (no prior ROS experience required)
What to Install Before the Workshop:
- Claude Desktop application
- For macOS: UTM virtualization software
- For Windows: VirtualBox or VMware
- For Ubuntu: Direct installation capability
- Git for cloning repositories
Workshop Structure (90 minutes):
Introduction (10 minutes)
- The vision: Natural language robot control
- MCP architecture overview
- Use cases and applications
Setup Phase (30 minutes)
- Track 1: Ubuntu users (native installation)
- Track 2: macOS users (VM + rosbridge approach)
- Track 3: Windows users (WSL2 or VM approach)
- Installing ROS and dependencies
- MCP server configuration
Integration Phase (25 minutes)
- Configuring Claude Desktop with MCP
- Setting up robot simulation (TurtleBot3 or turtlesim)
- Testing the connection
- First robot commands through AI
Hands-on Experimentation (20 minutes)
- Controlling robot movement through natural language Reading sensor
data - Exploring ROS topics, nodes, and services via MCP
- Group challenges and experimentation
Wrap-up (5 minutes)
- Next steps and resources
- Community contribution opportunities
- Q&A
Key Takeaways:
- Working AI-robot control system on your laptop
- Understanding of MCP architecture
- Cross-platform ROS development skills
- Foundation for advanced robotics projects