OSRF Google Summer of Code 2026 :sun_with_face:
The Open Source Robotics Foundation is seeking student coders for its only 2026 internship program, with 13 technical projects.
The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) has officially launched its project lineup for the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2026, marking its sole internship opportunity for the year. All five of its major open-source robotics projects—ROS (Robot Operating System), Gazebo (simulation), Open-RMF (fleet management), ROS Infrastructure, and ROS Control—will participate, offering a total of 13 distinct technical projects. These range from enhancing ROS 2 client library performance and fixing bugs in RCLCpp to developing vendor-agnostic SONAR for Gazebo and improving UI/UX for Open-RMF's Crossflow Diagram Editor. Each project will be guided by seasoned mentors from the Open Robotics community.
Student applications are now open and will close on March 31, 2026. The OSRF has outlined clear criteria for prospective applicants: they must showcase their coding work (including school or personal projects), highlight any prior open-source or ROS/Gazebo experience, and demonstrate strong written communication skills. Notably, the foundation advises against using large language models (LLMs) to write full project proposals, warning that mentors may reject applications suspected of being AI-generated. To strengthen their proposals, students are encouraged to engage with the community, potentially by tackling 'Good First Issue' tickets in project repositories before applying.
- OSRF offers 13 GSoC 2026 projects across ROS, Gazebo, Open-RMF, ROS Infrastructure, and ROS Control, its only 2026 internships.
- Application window runs from March 16 to March 31, 2026; mentors seek students with coding portfolios and open-source experience.
- Foundation explicitly discourages using LLMs to write full proposals, preferring authentic student work and clear written communication.
Why It Matters
This program is a critical pipeline for training the next generation of open-source robotics developers, directly advancing core industry tools.