ROS 2 Gateway MCP Server
ROS 2 services, actions, and topics exposed for high-level AI planning and reasoning.
Data last scanned today · Reviewed today
Overview
This server bridges ROS 2 with the Model Context Protocol, allowing LLM-based agents to interact with robot capabilities. By mapping ROS 2 services, actions, and topics into agent-usable tools, it enables AI to perform semantic reasoning while delegating deterministic execution, timing, and low-level control to the ROS 2 framework. Configuration is managed via YAML parameters, where users define how specific ROS interfaces map to MCP-accessible tools. It supports communication via JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio or HTTP, including optional SSE streaming, and facilitates stateful tool execution for multi-step robot processes.
Our verdict
With a security score of 16/100, this server is high-risk and should be evaluated with caution. The project is community-maintained rather than vendor-backed, lacks a defined open-source license, and has not received updates for nearly a year. Given that it lacks a read-only mode, users should exercise strict control over the configured ROS 2 interfaces to prevent unintended robot behavior or unauthorized command execution.
- Maps ROS 2 interfaces to agent tools via YAML
- Supports stateful execution for complex multi-step processes
- Provides standard tool definitions for nav2
- Zero direct dependencies minimize supply-chain surface
- No license detected, creating unclear legal usage terms
- Last commit occurred over 335 days ago
- Lacks a read-only mode for restricted operations
- Single-contributor project increases bus-factor risk
Compatibility
| Client | Local | Docker | Remote | Read-only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | ||||
| Cursor | ||||
| VS Code | ||||
| Windsurf | ||||
| ChatGPT |
Frequently asked questions
›How are ROS 2 services, actions, and topics exposed to agents?
The gateway uses a configuration file in YAML format, typically loaded via roslaunch, to map specific ROS 2 interfaces into agent-usable tools by defining their type, name, and description as ROS parameters.
›What communication protocols does the ROS 2 MCP Gateway support?
The server supports JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio or HTTP, and includes options for SSE streaming.
›Does the gateway support stateful operations for the agent?
Yes, the gateway is designed to handle stateful tool execution, allowing agents to manage multi-step processes.
›What is required to configure the server for an agent like Gemini CLI?
You must define the MCP server in your agent's settings file by specifying the command to run the Python application, the working directory, a response timeout, and the HTTP endpoint.
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