ROS (2) M Name Brainstorming

The open-source robotics world has kicked off a quirky but beloved tradition: naming the next major release of the Robot Operating System (ROS 2). With the current 'Lyrical Luth' release just branching, the ROS community is looking ahead to the 'M' release planned for 2026. The first step is selecting a name that adheres to a strict, alliterative formula: an adjective starting with 'M' followed by a turtle genus, species, or related term also starting with 'M'. This tradition dates back through the entire ROS 1 and ROS 2 lineage, creating a memorable version history like 'Foxy Fitzroy' and 'Galactic Geochelone'.

On the official ROS Discourse forum, lead developer gbiggs opened the 'namestorming' thread, providing lists of adjectives and turtle species for inspiration. The community quickly responded with creative suggestions. Popular early contenders include 'Majestic Macrochelys', 'Mystic Mauremys', and 'Metallic Melanochelys'. A strong thematic proposal is 'Musical Morenia', playing on the music theme from 'Lyrical Luth' and the ROS 1 release 'Melodic Morenia'. Other imaginative entries reference pop culture, like 'Mischievous Morla' from The NeverEnding Story and 'Mutant Michelangelo' from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

This naming ritual is more than just fun; it's a core community engagement activity for the widely-used robotics middleware. The process fosters a sense of shared ownership and highlights the project's open-source, collaborative nature. While the final name won't be chosen for some time, the brainstorming sets the stage for the development cycle of 'ROS 2 M', which will introduce new features and improvements critical for researchers and companies building autonomous systems. The chosen name will become part of the lexicon for thousands of roboticists worldwide.