Creating a custom ROS Android device interface

The Android operating system is an open source mobile platform which is widely used on smart phones and tablets. Its design is based on the Linux kernel, and its primary user control interface is via a touchscreen. This user interface consists of touch actions, such as swiping, tapping, or pinching elements on the screen. Tapping a virtual keyboard is one of the methods of entering text input. Various types of game control screens allow user interaction similar to joysticks and pushbuttons. The screen interface typically adjusts from portrait display to landscape based on the orientation in which the device is held. Sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and proximity sensors are usually available on the mobile device platform and used by the application software.

To provide this type of interface for the user of a robot, the ROS Android metapackage has been developed and made available for use and further development. But before we dive...