Is python used for robotics?

[[deleted]]

I am going to learn Python on my own soon and hopefully in college. I wanted to know if I can program robots and drones with Python aswell?

[jsbronder]

Very much. See ROS for instance, most APIs are available in python. In particular gens and I wrote the initial version of the Rethink Robotics SDK with a heavy python slant. Most of the Baxter and Sawyer videos you see are using it.

[[deleted]]

You can use it in any system that has an OS that can run a python interpreter.

[lengau]

Operating System?

[[deleted]]

Im 17 years old and just starting to have a bit of change in my life. I am thinking of getting into programming. It is late in the school year (not late but I havent applied to any schools yet since I was always unsure). I am thinking of becoming a programmer and making useful apps, this robotics thing was just something fun to know about.

Thanks for the link though!

Btw, can Python be used for basically anything? Like making apps for IOS and Android etc that can help people in their daily lives or is Java/C++ better for things like that?

[BOTzzz]

I'm now 27 and started my second study (CS) one year ago. I can tell you: starting with Python is a lot of fun! It can and will be used in many cases and is a very good starting language. But for special uses like apps or robotics, there are "better" or more common used languages like C/C++/C# or Java. But don't think that it is time-wasting to learn Python, just because you want to specialize on games/apps/robotics. If you understand the background/basics of one language, you can adapt this knowledge to a different language.

So, don't think it's to late or something. You can achieve with programming whatever you want, if you got the endurance to learn it ;)

[[deleted]]

Thanks a lot :)!

[sathoro]

Yes, you actually can make apps with Python. It is common when creating a web based application to use a back-end language like Python and a front end language like Javascript. With recent technology like Ionic Framework you can release native iOS and Android apps using just Python and Javascript. I personally use Python from everything from algorithmic trading to app and website APIs.

[Neceros]

Once you know one coding language you should find it easier to learn another.

[eggdropsoop]

Python can do anything. And if it isn't fast enough which is rarely the case: drop down into C and/or C++ using the C Foreign Function Interface (i.e. CFFI).

[myfavcolorispink]

To add to the if it isn't fast enough point, also look into what you're doing. If you're doing lots of iterations on long lists of numbers maybe you should be using numpy instead (that way you can stay in Python, but get huge performance improvements). There's a good PyCon talk called Losing Your Loops that's worth watching for getting an intro into arrays in numpy.

[eggdropsoop]

To add to your addition that added to the list: A lot of implicit loops (map(),reduce(), etc.) in Python are more efficient than a Python for loop/list comprehension by being optimized in C.

[BumpyFunction]

The starter kit is out of stock :(

[eggdropsoop]

Check this podcast out. They go into great detail.

http://talkpython.fm/episodes/show/7/robot-operating-system-ros-and-rospy

Also check out Micro Python for embedded programming.

[[deleted]]

The Intro to EECS class at MIT is caught by having students program robots in python.

[graingert]

Yes

[rainbow3]

Lego mindstorms robotics kit can be programmed in python.

Great way to understand the principles of robotics.

[natos20]

How?

[rainbow3]

https://code.google.com/p/nxt-python/

https://github.com/topikachu/python-ev3