robotics-agent-skills MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

ROS1 and ROS2 coverage, including launch files and package.xml
SOLID principles applied to robotics code
Common design patterns (State, Observer, Strategy) in ROS context
Testing scaffolds: pytest, rostest, gtest
Node lifecycle patterns (managed/unmanaged)
Cross-agent: works with any SKILL.md-compatible assistant

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

robotics-agent-skill.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "robotics-agent-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
        "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "robotics-agent-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
        "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "robotics-agent-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
        "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "robotics-agent-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
        "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "robotics-agent-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
        "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "robotics-agent-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills",
          "~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add robotics-agent-skill -- git clone https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills ~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use robotics-agent-skills

How to generate a production-ready ROS2 node from a spec

👤 Robotics engineers and students avoiding toy-example code ⏱ ~45 min intermediate

When to use: You're about to write a new node and want clean lifecycle + tests from the start.

Prerequisites

Skill installed — git clone https://github.com/arpitg1304/robotics-agent-skills ~/.claude/skills/robotics-agent-skills
ROS2 Humble+ on PATH — Follow docs.ros.org install

Flow

Describe the node

Create a ROS2 Humble node that subscribes to /scan (LaserScan), filters obstacles, and publishes /cmd_vel using a state machine.✓ Copied

→ Node with clear class separation, lifecycle hooks, param declarations
Ask for tests

Write pytest unit tests for the filter logic and a launch_test for the integration.✓ Copied

→ Tests runnable via colcon test
Package

Produce package.xml and CMakeLists.txt with correct dependencies.✓ Copied

→ colcon build succeeds

Outcome: A ROS2 package that passes colcon build + test with meaningful coverage.

Pitfalls

Claude mixes ROS1 and ROS2 APIs — State version explicitly in the prompt every time — 'ROS2 Humble'
Node lacks shutdown handling — Ask for on_shutdown hooks and SIGTERM cleanup specifically

Migrate a ROS1 package to ROS2

👤 Teams on end-of-life ROS1 Noetic ⏱ ~120 min advanced

When to use: You need to port a working ROS1 package and want more than a mechanical search-replace.

Flow

Audit the ROS1 package

Read this package and list every API we need to remap for ROS2 (params, timers, services, actions).✓ Copied

→ Per-file remap table
Generate ROS2 equivalents

Produce the ROS2 versions of each file, preserving behavior. Flag anything without a 1:1 mapping.✓ Copied

→ New files + flagged items for human review

Outcome: A ROS2 branch of the package that compiles and passes smoke tests.

Pitfalls

callback_groups and executors missing — Ask Claude to add a MultiThreadedExecutor and assign callback groups based on the old threading model

Add tests to a legacy ROS node without rewriting it

👤 Engineers inheriting an untested node ⏱ ~60 min intermediate

When to use: The node works in the field and you want a safety net before refactoring.

Flow

Identify seams

Look at this node and find the seams where we could inject fakes without changing production behavior.✓ Copied

→ Specific lines/functions to seam
Generate tests at seams

Write pytest tests using those seams. Don't change the node.✓ Copied

→ Tests that run in isolation and pass

Outcome: A characterization test suite that catches regressions.

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

robotics-agent-skill + claude-code-owasp-skill

Security-review ROS networking (rosbridge, Zenoh) using OWASP guidance

Robotics skill produced a rosbridge integration — run OWASP skill against the WebSocket layer.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call
ROS2 node generation	-	New node from scratch
ROS1-to-ROS2 migration	-	Noetic → Humble/Jazzy
Launch file authoring	-	Multi-node orchestration
Test scaffolds	-	Coverage work
SOLID + design patterns	-	Code review and refactor

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: None
Tokens per call: Varies
Monetary: Free
Tip: Keep prompts focused on one node at a time; full-package generation balloons tokens fast.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: No credentials

Data egress: No outbound calls from the skill itself

Robotics code can move physical hardware. Always run Claude-generated nodes in sim first.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Generated package fails colcon build with include errors

Claude often forgets to add ament_target_dependencies. Ask to regenerate CMakeLists.txt explicitly.

Verify: colcon build --packages-select <pkg>

Tests pass in isolation, fail when run together

Shared ROS context. Ask for per-test rclpy.init() and shutdown().

Verify: colcon test

Alternatives

robotics-agent-skills vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
ROS2 official docs	You want canonical patterns not LLM-derived	No codegen, slower

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills