JdeRobot Google Summer of Code 2026

The JdeRobot organization, a major contributor to open-source robotics education tools, has announced its participation in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2026. The program offers eight fully-funded summer project slots for student developers, with a heavy emphasis on the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) ecosystem. Seven of the eight proposed projects are dedicated to ROS 2 software development, signaling a strong commitment to the next-generation robotics framework. The core focus is expanding JdeRobot's flagship Robotics Academy, a browser-based platform for learning robotics through practical exercises.

Project proposals aim to significantly enhance the platform's utility. Key technical goals include extending C++ programming support for more exercises, developing a new drone-based "cat and mouse" chase exercise with two simultaneously controlled robots, and creating a palletizing exercise for industrial robots. A major architectural project involves integrating the Open3DEngine as an alternative robotics simulator backend. Another project, PerceptionMetrics, seeks to build a GUI tool for evaluating computer vision models against standard datasets. The organization has set a rigorous application process, requiring candidates to first complete a technical challenge and demonstrate activity in their GitHub repositories before proposal submission.