Hardware Requirements and Options
Overview
This course supports multiple hardware configurations, from budget-friendly simulation setups to complete robot labs. Choose the option that fits your budget and learning goals.
Hardware Tiers Comparison
| Feature | Economy Kit | Digital Twin | Robot Lab | Cloud Alternative |
|---|
| Cost | $200-300 | $800-1,200 | $3,000-5,000 | $50-200/month |
| Physical Robot | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| GPU Computing | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| ROS 2 Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Simulation | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| AI Training | Limited | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Best For | Students | Developers | Research | Teams |
Option 1: Economy Jetson Kit ($200-300)
What You Get
A minimal setup for learning ROS 2 and running basic simulations without GPU acceleration.
Hardware Components
| Component | Specification | Price (USD) |
|---|
| NVIDIA Jetson Nano | 4GB RAM, Quad-core ARM CPU | $99 |
| MicroSD Card | 128GB Class 10 | $20 |
| Power Supply | 5V 4A barrel jack | $15 |
| Cooling Fan | 40mm PWM fan + heatsink | $12 |
| Camera Module | IMX219 8MP (optional) | $25 |
| USB Peripherals | Keyboard, mouse, WiFi dongle | $30-50 |
| Total | | $201-241 |
What You Can Do
- Learn ROS 2 basics (nodes, topics, services)
- Run Gazebo simulations (simple environments)
- Basic computer vision with camera
- Program robot algorithms in Python/C++
Limitations
- No advanced AI model training
- Limited simulation complexity
- No GPU-accelerated perception
- Slower compile times
Setup Guide
- Flash Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 to microSD card
- Install ROS 2 Humble (see Setup Instructions)
- Install Gazebo for basic simulation
- Connect camera module for vision experiments
Option 2: Digital Twin Workstation ($800-1,200)
What You Get
A powerful development machine for advanced simulation, AI training, and virtual robotics.
Hardware Components
| Component | Specification | Price (USD) |
|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel i7-12700 | $250-350 |
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti (8GB) or RTX 3070 | $400-500 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 3200MHz | $100-120 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | $80-100 |
| Motherboard | ATX with PCIe 4.0 | $120-150 |
| Power Supply | 750W 80+ Gold | $80-100 |
| Case | ATX with good airflow | $70-90 |
| Total | | $1,100-1,410 |
What You Can Do
- Full Gazebo Classic + Gazebo Fortress simulation
- NVIDIA Isaac Sim for photorealistic physics
- Train YOLO, PointNet, and other AI models
- Run multiple ROS 2 nodes simultaneously
- Virtual humanoid robot development
- Real-time sensor fusion simulation
Recommended Software Stack
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- ROS 2 Humble
- Gazebo Fortress or NVIDIA Isaac Sim
- PyTorch with CUDA support
- Docker for containerized development
Setup Guide
- Install Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- Install NVIDIA drivers (525+)
- Install ROS 2 Humble Desktop
- Install NVIDIA Isaac Sim or Gazebo Fortress
- Set up Docker with GPU support
Option 3: Robot Lab ($3,000-5,000)
What You Get
Complete hardware setup with real robot, computing, and perception equipment.
Core Computing
| Component | Specification | Price (USD) |
|---|
| Workstation | Same as Digital Twin tier | $1,100-1,400 |
| Jetson AGX Orin | 64GB, 2048-core GPU | $1,999 |
| Network Switch | Gigabit Ethernet 8-port | $50 |
Robot Hardware
| Component | Specification | Price (USD) |
|---|
| Humanoid Robot | TurtleBot4 or equivalent mobile platform | $1,200-1,500 |
| Lidar | RPLidar A2 or Hokuyo | $300-400 |
| RGB-D Camera | Intel RealSense D435i | $400 |
| IMU | 9-DOF MPU-9250 | $15 |
| Servos | Dynamixel MX-28 or XM430 (optional) | $150 each |
Total Investment: $3,000-5,000+
What You Can Do
- Real-world ROS 2 deployment
- SLAM and autonomous navigation
- Vision-based manipulation
- Hardware-software integration testing
- Humanoid locomotion experiments
- Multi-robot coordination
Lab Setup Requirements
- Dedicated workspace (10ft x 10ft minimum)
- Stable power supply (UPS recommended)
- Safety barriers for robot movement area
- Good lighting for vision systems
Option 4: Cloud Alternatives ($50-200/month)
For students without access to hardware or those wanting to experiment before committing.
Google Colab Pro+
- Cost: $50/month
- GPU: NVIDIA V100 or A100
- RAM: 52GB
- Good For: AI model training, Jupyter notebooks, quick experiments
- Limitations: No ROS 2 GUI, session timeouts
AWS EC2 with ROS 2
- Cost: $100-200/month (p3.2xlarge)
- GPU: NVIDIA V100
- Storage: 100GB EBS
- Good For: Full ROS 2 stack, persistent environments, team collaboration
- Setup: Use AWS RoboMaker or custom AMI
Azure ML with GPU
- Cost: $150-250/month
- GPU: NVIDIA T4 or V100
- Good For: AI/ML experiments, cloud simulation, scalable training
- Integration: Azure IoT Hub for real robot deployment
GitHub Codespaces
- Cost: Free tier + $0.18/hour for GPU
- Good For: ROS 2 development, code sharing, CI/CD
- Limitations: Limited GPU options, requires Dockerfile
Minimum Software Requirements (All Tiers)
| Software | Version | Purpose |
|---|
| Ubuntu | 22.04 LTS | ROS 2 compatibility |
| ROS 2 | Humble Hawksbill | Robot framework |
| Python | 3.10+ | Programming |
| CMake | 3.16+ | Building C++ nodes |
| Gazebo | Fortress or Classic 11 | Simulation |
| RViz | ROS 2 version | Visualization |
Hardware Selection Guide
Choose Economy Kit If:
- Budget under $300
- Learning ROS 2 fundamentals only
- No immediate need for AI training
- Comfortable with simulation-only learning
Choose Digital Twin If:
- Budget $800-1,200
- Want to train AI models locally
- Need advanced simulation (Isaac Sim)
- Plan to develop complex algorithms
- No space for physical robots
Choose Robot Lab If:
- Budget $3,000+
- Need real hardware testing
- Research or commercial development
- Teaching robotics courses
- Want complete learning experience
Choose Cloud If:
- No upfront budget for hardware
- Need flexible computing resources
- Team collaboration required
- Short-term project (< 6 months)
Cost Optimization Tips
- Start Small: Begin with Economy Kit, upgrade as needed
- Used Hardware: eBay/Craigslist for Jetson Nano or older GPUs
- University Resources: Use campus computer labs with GPUs
- Cloud Free Tiers: Google Colab free version for basic experiments
- Open Source: Use free simulators (Gazebo) before paying for Isaac Sim
- Community: Join ROS Discourse for hardware recommendations and deals
Recommended Accessories (All Tiers)
| Accessory | Purpose | Cost |
|---|
| External Monitor | Development efficiency | $100-200 |
| Mechanical Keyboard | Coding comfort | $50-150 |
| USB Hub | Connect multiple devices | $20-40 |
| Cable Management | Organized workspace | $15-30 |
| Anti-Static Mat | Hardware safety | $20-40 |
| Backup Drive | Data protection | $60-100 |
Next Steps
- Choose your hardware tier based on budget and goals
- Proceed to Setup Instructions for installation
- Join the ROS Discourse community
- Check the Troubleshooting Guide if you encounter issues
Further Reading