Overview
BonicBot A2 is built to grow with you. Whether you’re picking up a robot for the first time or building production navigation systems, there’s a workflow here that fits where you are right now — and where you’re headed.
Development Ecosystem
| Environment | Best for |
|---|---|
| Education Suite | Robotics learning and programming environment — right in your browser |
| Python SDK | Building real applications with Python — no ROS2 knowledge needed |
| ROS2 Development | Full robotics stack — simulation, SLAM, navigation, custom packages |
These can be used independently or layered together. Most people start with the Education Suite or Python SDK, then move into ROS2 when they’re ready to go deeper.
Education Suite
No setup. No terminal. Just open a browser, connect to the robot, and start building.
The Education Suite runs directly on the robot’s Raspberry Pi and gives you a complete programming environment accessible from any device on the same network.
Visual Programming
Drag, drop, and run — no syntax required. Built on Blockly, this environment lets you build real robot behaviours using visual programming blocks. Great for STEM education and for anyone who wants to focus on logic rather than language.
Python Editor
Write Python, run it on the robot, see what happens. The built-in editor gives you a direct line to the hardware — perfect for scripting behaviours, reading sensors, or just experimenting with code.
Jupyter Notebook
An interactive notebook environment for deeper exploration — visualise sensor data, run experiments step by step, and analyse robot behaviour in real time.
Note: Jupyter Notebook integration is currently under development.
Python SDK
Want to control the robot from your laptop with a few lines of Python? That’s what the SDK is for.
bonicbot-bridge is a Python library that handles all the communication between your code and the robot — no ROS2 setup required. You write the logic, it handles the rest.
With the SDK you can:
- Control robot movement and teleoperation
- Read live sensor and odometry data
- Stream camera feeds
- Monitor robot status
- Build navigation workflows
- Prototype robotics applications quickly
It works with both the physical robot and Gazebo simulation environments, so you can develop and test without the hardware in front of you.
Explore the full API and examples in the Python SDK documentation.
ROS2 Development
For when you want to go under the hood — full ROS2, simulation, SLAM, navigation, and custom package development.
There are two ways in, depending on what you need.
Option 1 — SSH directly into the robot
The fastest way to start. No installation, no Docker, no configuration — just SSH into the robot and you’re inside a live ROS2 environment.
From there you can immediately start exploring:
- Active topics and nodes
- Live sensor streams
- Teleoperation
- Publishers and subscribers in action
This is the best starting point if you’re new to ROS2 or want to understand how the stack behaves on real hardware before setting up a full dev environment.
Option 2 — Docker development environment
When you’re ready to simulate, visualise, navigate, or write your own packages — this is your setup.
The BonicBot Docker image gives you a complete, pre-configured ROS2 environment that runs on your laptop. No manual dependency management. Pull the image, start the container, and you’re in.
What’s available inside:
- Gazebo — full robot simulation, same topics and commands as the real thing
- RViz — live 3D visualisation of the robot, sensors, and maps
- Navigation2 — autonomous navigation and path planning
- SLAM — real-time mapping and localisation
- Custom ROS2 package development and testing
Linux and macOS give the smoothest experience — ROS2’s UDP-based networking works more reliably than NAT-based Windows setups. Windows users can get there via WSL2.
Learning path
Once your environment is ready, a hands-on walkthrough takes you through everything step by step — driving the robot, exploring topics, running simulations, and writing your first nodes.
Note: You don’t need ROS2 for everyday robot use. The Education Suite and Python SDK work completely independently — jump into ROS2 whenever you’re ready.
Where to go next
Not sure where to start? Here’s a simple guide:
- New to robotics → Education Suite — visual programming, no setup needed
- Comfortable with Python → Python SDK — build applications in minutes
- Want the full ROS2 stack → ROS2 Development Setup
- Ready for a hands-on walkthrough → ROS2 Development Walkthrough