Author: Nathan Kassai, Email: kassan2@unlv.nevada.edu
Date Last Modified: 06/07/2024

This week, I got a chance to meet Bryan, a backend Android app developer who has been working diligently on many different projects. He's been there to help check in on my progress while at NNSS and has been a valuable resource to Francis and I.

While working at DASL, sometimes I and others get stuck in the prototyping phase of our project. Of course, this is understandable, as we are actively developing & researching new ideas, however, while stuck in prototyping, we implement what I call “temporary-permanent solutions”. As in, placing double-sided tape on a problem, it works for the time being, then later on it comes and bites us in the rear, creating an even larger problem. Had we tackled the problem at hand, albeit it would take longer than the temporary-permanent solution, it would last exponentially longer than the former. This is not allowed at RSL; we are forced to have a more permanent solution to our issues, even if it does take longer. This is a practice that I want everyone, including myself, to practice often, whether that's to simplify the process of running your system or banning the usage of double-sided tape (partially joking).

While working at RSL, it has become sometimes difficult to browse the web and look for packages on GitHub (as the GitHub website is blocked entirely). While working on base, I've been forced to shift from browsing on GitHub for an answer to my question to focusing solely on the documentation of the library/software I am using. This sometimes causes a delay in the work, however, this forces me to understand every aspect of the libraries that I am using rather than relying on previous answers to questions on GitHub to help me understand a fraction of the problem at hand.

My programming skills have improved with ROS 2 in C++! My main project right now is to generate “markers” based on an external sensor's reading, within a map cloud generated with a Livox MID360 Lidar sensor. Furthermore, with my knowledge of GIT increasing, I have created my own remote GIT Repository to save my projects to; I have been able to save multiple “snapshots” (or version) of the code I have written so that I may refer back to each iteration. Slightly off topic, but the transition from ROS 1 to ROS 2 is definitely something that I'd like the lab to learn at some point, since ROS 1 hits End of Life (EOL) next year, meaning no more official support.