# Introduction to ROS 2 Development with Docker


> **Acknowledgment**
>
> This guide is a community contribution. Docker would like to thank
> [Shakirth Anisha](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakirth-anisha/) for her contribution
> to this guide.

[ROS 2](https://www.ros.org/) is a set of software libraries and tools for building robot applications. It uses Data Distribution Service (DDS) for real-time, secure communication between distributed nodes, making it ideal for robotics and autonomous systems.

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## What will you learn?

In this guide, you'll learn how to:

- Use official ROS 2 base images from Docker Hub
- Run ROS 2 in an Ubuntu container
- Install ROS 2 packages and dependencies
- Set up a development container for local development
- Run a complete end-to-end example with Turtlesim

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you're familiar with the following:

- [Docker Desktop](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/): You must have Docker Desktop installed and running.
- [Docker concepts](/get-started/docker-concepts/the-basics/what-is-a-container/): You must understand core Docker concepts, such as images and containers.
- [ROS 2 concepts](https://www.ros.org): Basic understanding of concepts like nodes, packages, topics, and services.

## What's next?

Start by setting up your ROS 2 development environment using Docker and dev containers.