Try the demo

The demo robot in the RViz tab.

The demo starts a simulated robot inside your phone: a small differential robot in a 10 × 8 m room with boxes. It publishes what a real mobile robot would (TF, odometry, laser, map, camera, diagnostics, logs, its URDF and a planned path), obeys /cmd_vel, and drives around on its own when nobody is using the joystick.

It also offers parameters, services, an action and a lifecycle node, so every tab has something to show:

  • /demo_robot parameters: autopilot, max_linear_speed, max_angular_speed, robot_name (read-only) and use_sim_time.

  • Services: /demo_robot/return_home (std_srvs/Trigger), /demo_robot/set_autopilot (std_srvs/SetBool) and /add_two_ints.

  • Action: /fibonacci (example_interfaces/action/Fibonacci), with feedback and cancel.

  • Lifecycle node /camera_driver: the camera only publishes while it is active.

The demo uses its own ROS domain (231) and only the phone’s internal (loopback) network, so nothing reaches your Wi-Fi and it never interferes with real robots.

Start it

  • Without an account: on the sign-in screen tap Try the demo without an account. See Using the app without an account.

  • With an account: on Home tap Try the demo. Your tabs and connection are saved and come back when you tap Exit demo.

The demo adds ready-made tabs: Demo RViz, Drive, Camera, Diagnostics, Topics, Buttons, Lifecycle and Demo dashboard.

Next: Drive the demo robot.