Eight Vectors Studio — A Simple Way to Work With ROS 2 Inside VS Code

Robocademy ROS News Update

At Robocademy, we recently explored the new Eight Vectors Studio extension for VS Code, and it’s a promising addition for anyone working with ROS 2. The extension connects to a ROS 2 system via the rosbridge WebSocket, making it possible to inspect, visualize, and interact with robot data directly inside the editor.

What makes it useful is how well it brings common ROS 2 workflows into one place. Developers can browse nodes, topics, services, and actions through a clean tree interface, subscribe to topics for real-time message viewing, and even use built-in tools to visualize occupancy grids, laser scans, and URDF robot models.

✅ Key Features

• ROS 2 Entity Browser: Nodes, topics, services, and actions
• Live Topic Viewer: Real-time message streaming
• Visualizations:
  • 2D occupancy grid maps
  • Laser scan viewer
  • URDF model renderer
  • Graphical + raw data modes
• Developer Tools:
  • Auto-reconnect to rosbridge
  • Real-time parameter editing
  • Bag recorder command generator
  • Message/service/action inspectors with JSON templates

🔗 VS Code Marketplace

🔗 GitHub Repository

Robocademy will continue sharing useful tools and resources that make robotics development more efficient and developer-friendly.