ros-mcp-server
Connect AI models like Claude & GPT with robots using MCP and ROS.
Install / Use
claude mcp add robotmcp -- npx -y github:robotmcp/ros-mcp-serverIf the server publishes to npm under a different name, use that package instead — check the repo README.
MCP Server
Model Context Protocol server
Quality Score
Category
AI & Machine LearningSupported Platforms
Tags
Our assessment of ros-mcp-server
ros-mcp-server scores 77/100 on our quality scale, 822nd of 965 AI & Machine Learning skills we index.
Its MCP Server is 4.7 KB long, split into 7 sections and no code examples: a solid amount of guidance for an agent.
With 1,514 GitHub stars, it is one of the more widely adopted skills in the catalogue.
Maintenance, license and trust
- The repository was last updated today, so ros-mcp-server is actively maintained.
- Our last check on 2026-10-21 found the source still online.
- It is released under the Apache-2.0 license, a permissive license that allows use, modification and commercial use with attribution.
- Its trust signals score 95/100, with 1 caution from licensing, adoption, age or documentation. These come from repository metadata, not a code audit — read the skill file before letting an agent act on it.
Safety scan
No issues foundOur scan of the whole file found no instruction hijacking, hidden characters, credential access, data exfiltration or destructive commands. An AI review of the same text found nothing harmful.
AI review by kimi-k2.7-code on 2026-09-24. Automated pattern scan on 2026-09-24. It catches known dangerous patterns, not every risk — read a skill before letting an agent act on it.
ros-mcp-server compared with similar skills
All 4 of these similar skills score higher than ros-mcp-server; compare them before choosing.
| Skill | Score | Stars | Updated | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ros-mcp-server (this skill)by robotmcp | 77 | 1.5k | today | MCP Server |
| claude-memby thedotmack | 100 | 113.5k | today | CLAUDE.md |
| Agent-Reachby Panniantong | 100 | 109.2k | today | CLAUDE.md |
| Understand-Anythingby Egonex-AI | 100 | 90.9k | 10d ago | CLAUDE.md |
| headroomby headroomlabs-ai | 100 | 78.9k | today | CLAUDE.md |
Frequently asked questions
- How do I install ros-mcp-server?
- Run
claude mcp add robotmcp -- npx -y github:robotmcp/ros-mcp-server. The install tabs above show the steps for each supported agent. - Which AI agents does ros-mcp-server work with?
- It is written for Claude Code and Claude Desktop, as a MCP Server file. Other agents that read the same format can often use it too.
- Is ros-mcp-server safe to use?
- Our scan of the whole file found no instruction hijacking, hidden characters, credential access, data exfiltration or destructive commands. An AI review of the same text found nothing harmful. It is Apache-2.0-licensed and scores 95/100 on trust signals. Skills are instructions an agent will follow, so read the file before installing it and do not approve commands you do not understand.
- Is ros-mcp-server still maintained?
- The repository was last updated today, so ros-mcp-server is actively maintained.
Skill content
View source on GitHubROS MCP Server 🧠⇄🤖
ROS-MCP-Server connects large language models (such as Claude, GPT, and Gemini) to robots, enabling bidirectional communication with no changes to existing robot source code.
Why ROS-MCP?
- No robot source code changes → just add the
rosbridgenode to your existing ROS setup. - True two-way communication → LLMs can both control robots and observe everything happening on the Robot.
- Full context → publish & subscribe to topics, call services & actions, set parameters, read sensor data, and monitor robot state in real time.
- Deep ROS understanding → guides the LLM to discover available topics, services, actions, and their types (including custom ones) — enabling it to use them with the right syntax without manual configuration.
- Works with any MCP client → built on the open MCP standard, supporting Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more.
- Works across ROS versions → compatible across ROS 2 (Jazzy, Humble, and others) and ROS 1 distros.
🎥 Examples in Action
<p align="center"> <a href="https://youtu.be/Yy1loJAn9sA"> <img src="https://github.com/robotmcp/ros-mcp-server/blob/main/docs/images/MCP%20Demos%20Slide%20-%207to12s.gif" alt="ROS MCP demos" /> </a> </p>🏭 Example - AI Agent diagnosis of Industrial Robot End Effector (Video)
- The MCP server connects Claude to a production industrial robot, with only the technician manuals as reference.
- Claude discovers the robot's custom topic and service types and their syntax on its own.
- From a single prompt to test the gripper, it reads the manuals, runs its own tests, finds an anomaly, and reports the root cause.
🤖 Example - Controlling "Wilson" with natural language (video)
From a single prompt — "Grab a Coke from the fridge & go to the living room." — Google Gemini uses the MCP server to navigate and manipulate autonomously. Built on ROS 2 with Nav2 (SLAM) for mapping and navigation, and MoveIt to command the manipulator.
🐕 Example - Controlling Unitree Go2 in NVIDIA Isaac Sim (video)
The MCP server connects Claude to a simulated Unitree Go2 quadruped in NVIDIA Isaac Sim, interpreting natural language commands to navigate and control the robot.
🛠 Getting Started
Follow the installation guide to get started.
ROS-MCP works with Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.
<p align="center"> <img src="https://github.com/robotmcp/ros-mcp-server/blob/main/docs/images/MCP_topology.png"/> </p>📚 More Examples & Tutorials
Browse our examples to see the server in action.
We welcome community PRs with new examples and integrations!
🤝 Contributing
We love contributions of all kinds:
- Bug fixes and documentation updates
- New features (e.g., Action support, permissions)
- Additional examples and tutorials
Check out the contributing guidelines and see issues tagged good first issue to get started.
📜 License
This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
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Languages
Trust signals
From repository metadata: license, adoption, age and documentation. Not a code audit — see the Safety scan above for what the skill file itself contains.
