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In this activity, you will configure network settings and conduct communication tests between the JetBot and the Ubuntu Virtual Machine running on your computer. After completing these steps, you will be able to configure ROS to coordinate Nodes across multiple devices, as required by SLAM. 

All computer-side steps should be completed with the Terminal and Web Browser within the  Ubuntu Virtual Machine to fully test the network communication. 

One of the strengths of ROS is its distributed architecture, which allows different Nodes (or programs) to communicate and operate across multiple devices. For ROS communication between the JetBot and the Ubuntu Virtual Machine, they need to share the same network and subnet.

There are two main options to achieve this for your setup:

If you haven't already done so, you may need to check with your Network Administrator to determine which option is most appropriate for your environment.

Begin by launching the VMWare software on your computer and starting the Ubuntu for JetBot Virtual Machine. The login password is: cmra

Follow along with the steps under Option 1 or Option 2 to continue.

Make note of the IP Address of another JetBot running on your network, and ping it instead. 

Coordinate with one or more colleagues to start up the netcat service listening on a JetBot on a port of your choice (but remember to choose a port higher than 1024). Also connect to the netcat service running on that JetBot and on the chosen port. Start sending messages and observe what happens!

Many systems need to be in place for computers (and robots!) to talk to each other. These are often organized into “layers” to make it easier to think about and troubleshoot them.

Application Layer: The software on the two computers needs to make sense of the data coming over the connection.

Network Layer: Both systems, as well as everything along that path, need to be set up to get each piece of data to its destination.

Physical Layer: There needs to be a physical path for data to get from the sender to the receiver – over wires, radio waves, sound waves, or a combination of those.

Generally, “higher” layers depend on “lower” layers. If there is no physical connection, it doesn’t matter whether the network or application layers are set up correctly or not; you may not even be able to check them.

On the other hand, if you can see an application working, you don’t have to check the lower (e.g., physical) layers, because they must be working for the highest layer to function. Even so, every layer represents a part of the system that can be attacked, and therefore needs cybersecurity.

Note that there are actually more layers (the most common has 7) involved in a network. However, the distinctions between the additional categories are generally not critical for field configuration and troubleshooting.

Cybersecurity has emerged as a significant concern in automation and robotics, particularly with the growing prevalence of AI and IoT. As robots become more networked and autonomous, the risk of cyberattacks increases, including potential safety hazards, data breaches, and production delays.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among device manufacturers, integrators, and operators. It's crucial to incorporate security measures at every stage, from design and implementation to the operational phases.

 

Defense-in-Depth is an effective cybersecurity strategy that employs multiple layers of protection to secure information and thwart cyber-attacks. This approach ensures that if one layer fails, others are still active to provide defense.

In the field of robotics, employing this strategy is vital to protect critical system components, firmware, and software from cyber threats.