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ros-mcp-server
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ros-mcp-server

Active·★ 1.5k·Apache-2.0·Updated 2026-10-22

ROS-MCP-Server connects large language models such as Claude, GPT and Gemini to existing robots, with two-way integration and no changes to the robot's source code beyond adding the `rosbridge` node. The README says you can command a robot in natural language, which is translated into ROS or ROS2 commands, and give the AI visibility by subscribing to topics, calling services, reading sensor data and monitoring robot state in real time. It lists features for listing topics, services and message types, viewing type definitions (including custom ones), publishing and subscribing to topics, calling services and getting or setting parameters.

It is version-agnostic: it works with ROS1 and ROS2 and with any MCP-compatible model. The README shows examples of controlling a MOCA mobile manipulator in NVIDIA Isaac Sim from Claude Desktop and controlling a Unitree Go robot in natural language. ROS Actions support and permission controls are marked as upcoming. Setup is in a separate installation guide (and an install-from-source guide), and there is a robot-mcp-client if you prefer a terminal over desktop LLM apps. It is Apache-2.0 licensed.

This write-up is based on the project's README and public repository data. We have not hand-tested the tool. Data as of 2026-10-18.

License
Apache-2.0
Latest release
v3.1.2 · 2026-09-23
Last commit
2026-10-18
Contributors
19
Forks
215
Open issues and PRs
67
First published
2025-04-11

Source: GitHub, npm and PyPI public APIs.

#ROS#ROS2#LLM#Robotics#AI Integration#Natural Language Processing#Robot Control#MCP
$ Install
$ git clone https://github.com/robotmcp/ros-mcp-server.git && cd ros-mcp-server && pip install .
↗ Visit site★ GitHub
01

Features

01No robot code changes needed, only requires adding the `rosbridge` node.
02Enables true two-way communication, allowing LLMs to control robots and observe ROS data.
03Supports both ROS1 and ROS2 versions out of the box.
04Comprehensive interaction with ROS environment: list, view, publish/subscribe to topics, call services, and get/set parameters.
05Integrates with any MCP-enabled LLM platforms like Claude Desktop, Gemini, and ChatGPT.
02

Why choose it

+No changes to existing robot code: it only needs the `rosbridge` node
+Two-way: the model can both command the robot and observe topics, services, sensors and parameters
+Works with ROS1 and ROS2 and any MCP-compatible model
+Demonstrated in simulation (Isaac Sim) and on a real quadruped, per the README
03

Trade-offs

!Letting an LLM publish commands to a physical robot is risky; test in simulation and keep an emergency stop ready
!Permission controls are only marked as upcoming, so there is no built-in access control yet
!ROS Actions are not supported yet
!The README is short and sends installation details to a separate guide
04

Maintenance check

ActiveChecked: 2026-10-18
Last commit
2026-09-23
Commits, last 90 days
2
Releases, last 90 days
2
Latest release
v3.1.2 (2026-09-23)
Open issues
67
Recent issues with at least one comment
2/3
Commits per week, last 12 weeks
Commits per week, last 12 weeks: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0

Oldest week on the left; the latest four weeks are orange. Source: GitHub commit activity.

Status rule: archived on GitHub = Archived; last commit within 90 days = Active; 91 to 365 days = Slowing; older = Stale. All figures come from the GitHub API on the date shown.

Most discussed open issues

  • #185 Feature: Behavior Tree Integration via MCP (built on existing ROS Action support)8 comments · 2025-11-04
  • #140 Fix bug: Remove Optional from tools input.5 comments · 2025-10-01
  • #145 Remove dependency on rosapi for ROS graph and parameter management4 comments · 2025-10-05
  • #397 Concurrent send_action_goal MCP calls can return each other's results3 comments · 2026-10-10
  • #248 Add option for local ROS 2 connection without ROSBridge3 comments · 2026-02-27

Issue titles are quoted from GitHub. Open the link to check whether a problem still applies to the version you use.

05

Compatibility

ROS
Framework
Verified via docs
ROS2
Framework
Verified via docs
Python
Runtime
Verified via docs
Dev Container
Development Environment
Verified via docs
06

Quick start

1
$ git clone https://github.com/robotmcp/ros-mcp-server.git
2
$ cd ros-mcp-server
3
$ pip install .
07

Use cases

↳Command mobile manipulators in simulation (e.g., MOCA in NVIDIA Isaac Sim) using natural language.
↳Control real-world robots (e.g., Unitree Go) with natural language, interpreting camera images for contextual commands.
↳Debug industrial robots by browsing ROS topics/services, querying custom types, and calling services via natural language.
08

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On this page
01Features02Why choose it03Trade-offs04Maintenance check05Compatibility06Quick start07Use cases08Alternatives
robotmcp /
ros-mcp-server
↗

Connect LLMs to ROS and ROS2 robots through rosbridge and MCP

1.5k215Apache-2.0
Last commit1d ago
StatusActive
CategoryAPI Integration
Contributors19
Latest releasev3.1.2
Links
Documentation↗Discussion↗Issues↗Releases↗
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