Open Source RoboticsRobots, software & learning

RPLIDAR ROS driver

Software

This RPLIDAR repository supplies a ROS node and a test client for publishing lidar scans. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Installation & first result →Official websiteGetting started

For
Robotics developers selecting a concrete sensor, interface or simulation workflow [1] [2] [3] [4]
Source rights
Named licenses are documented by part. Review licenses
Unknowns
operating system, compute requirements not fully established. Review gaps

Source researched · Not tested by us
Sources checked · Research details

Licenses & related hardware

Requirements · Research details and dates

On this page

Overview

This RPLIDAR repository supplies a ROS node and a test client for publishing lidar scans. Its selected instructions use catkin_make, roslaunch and rosrun. Those identify a ROS 1 workflow; they should not be treated as a tested ROS 2 package or a complete navigation stack. [1] [3]

Is this for you?

Known limitations
  • This snapshot usesROScatkin/roslaunch, notROS2colcon launchsyntax.
  • Eachlidar hasmodel-specific baud/frame assumptions; no scan/coordinatevalidation.

Editorial assessment of cited source; no runtime or hardware test.

[1] [2] [3] [4] · Editorial assessment

What you need

Dependencies
  • ROS1catkin workspace and matchingRPLIDARmodel-specificlaunchfile
  • Serialport/baud/frame configuration; sensorSDK andhardware dependencies separate

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Installation & first result

Open the upstream getting-started guide [1] [2] [3] [4]

  • Select the named hardware/model and corresponding source configuration before installation.
  • Follow the cited starting route while keeping package, device and firmware versions matched; no operation reproduced here.

Editorial assessment of cited source; no runtime or hardware test.

[1] [2] [3] [4] · Editorial assessment

Installation

ROS 1 catkin workspace and catkin_make; choose model-specific rplidar_a1.launch only for the intended A1 configuration rather than assuming ROS 2 compatibility.

Upstream documented requirement/configuration only, not independently tested installation or compatibility.

[1] [4]

Project notes

Pick the device route before building

The README asks for the package in a catkin workspace and a build that creates rplidarNode and rplidarNodeClient. It lists different view/driver launch files for A1, several A2 variants and other products. For an A1 source investigation, inspect rplidar_a1.launch rather than selecting a similarly named file for a different sensor. No workspace or driver was built here. [1] [4]

The selected A1 file specifies /dev/ttyUSB0, 115200 baud, laser as its frame. Serial communication is inherited from the node's default channel type rather than explicitly set in that launch file. These are the selected configuration's values, not measurements or valid defaults for every RPLIDAR model. The README explicitly warns that different lidars use different serial baud rates. Reconcile device identity, permissions and frame placement before interpreting a scan. [1] [3] [4]

The node source is implementation evidence for a sensor integration, while the README separately points to the underlying RPLIDAR SDK. Publishing a scan or viewing RViz would still not establish navigation accuracy, frame calibration or recovery behavior. This review performed no device connection, scan publication, RViz session or motion test. [1] [3]

The repository carries a two-condition BSD-style notice: source redistribution retains the copyright notice, conditions and disclaimer; binary redistribution reproduces them in accompanying documentation or materials. Purchased lidar hardware, firmware, SDK contributions and recordings retain their own applicable terms. No current hardware price or complete robot cost was established. [2]

What we checked

Pinned documentation/selected source review only; no build, installation, live device/network, simulator, calibration or performance test.

Not yet established

  • Requirements: operating system, host computer
  • Version-specific hardware compatibility (ecosystem tags alone do not establish it)

Updates

Upstream last updated
Not established
Latest release
Not established
Profile updated
Nov 1, 2026
Sources last checked
Nov 1, 2026
Next review
Dec 1, 2026
Reviewed revision
3cd94fe

Source files and licenses

Distinct robot-facing source implementation/interface; no purchased hardware design or untested performance claim.

LayerAvailability / license
softwareavailable · BSD-2-Clause-style repository notice
Scoped source declaration; purchased hardware, firmware, binaries, assets and external dependencies require separate terms. [1] [2] [3] [4]
documentationavailable · BSD-2-Clause-style repository notice
Scoped source declaration; purchased hardware, firmware, binaries, assets and external dependencies require separate terms. [1] [2] [3] [4]

No separate physical design, pretrained distribution or dataset is selected as the released contribution in this scoped software review.

References

Each source links to the exact revision we read. “Used for” shows where this page relies on it.

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.7.0-draft.5

Change history