Robots/Parts/Software
Isaac ROS
A collection of add-ons from Nvidia for ROS 2, the common robot software framework. They move heavy jobs such as working out where the robot is, building a 3D map and judging distance onto the robot's Nvidia graphics chip, so they run much faster.
- 1 of 10
- robots in the database
- Nvidia
- made by
- Software
- brain layer
- Free
- listed price
Key numbers
- Made by
- Nvidia
- Built for
- ROS 2
- Runs on
- Nvidia Jetson computers, including Jetson Thor, and PCs with Nvidia graphics cards
- Example parts
- mapping and positioning, 3D scene building, depth from two cameras, motion planning
- Licence
- varies by part: some are Apache 2.0, others are under Nvidia's own Isaac ROS licence
Source: Nvidia, NVIDIA Isaac ROS (developer.nvidia.com)
Price guide
Listed price
Free
Free to download. Some parts are under the open Apache 2.0 licence and others under Nvidia's own licence, which allows use and modification but has distribution conditions. It needs Nvidia hardware to run.
Where to buySource: Nvidia Isaac ROS on GitHub, isaac_ros_common licence file (github.com)
Strengths and trade-offs
Our analysisStrengths
Much faster than running the same jobs on the main processor.
Fits into ROS 2, which robot engineers already know.
Ready-made parts for mapping, depth and planning save years of work.
Free to download.
Trade-offs
Only works on Nvidia hardware.
Licences differ from part to part, so they need checking before building a product.
Tied to particular ROS 2 and Jetson software versions, which can make upgrades awkward.
Why robot makers choose it
Our readA humanoid like the Unitree H2 Plus has to see, map and plan in real time on a battery-powered computer. Isaac ROS lets it do that on the Nvidia chip already inside, while keeping the familiar ROS 2 way of building robot software.
This is our reasoning from the public facts. No maker has confirmed it.
Robots using it
This list covers only the robots researched so far. A robot missing here may still use this part.
Numbers and listed prices on this page come from the sources shown. Anything marked as our analysis, our read or our estimate is our own view and has not been confirmed by any company. Last checked 14 Oct 2026. How we verify