Sawera Yaseen, a student of the IFRoS [2023-2025] cohort, shares her experience attending ROSCon 2025 in Odense, Denmark, as a ROSCon Diversity Scholar. During the event, she participated in specialized hands-on workshops on aerial robotics with PX4 and ROS2 and engaged with the global robotics community at the Women in Robotics meetup. This experience highlights the importance of international networking and the practical application of open-source tools in the evolving field of field robotics. Below, she explains her journey and the key lessons learned during the conference.
“Attending ROSCon 2025 was a meaningful milestone in my journey in robotics. It was my first time meeting the ROS community in person, and being part of the discussions, workshops, and demonstrations gave me a clearer understanding of how the field is evolving and where my own work can grow.
I am thankful to have been selected as a ROSCon Diversity Scholar. This opportunity made it possible for me to participate fully, and it also helped me feel part of a community that values diversity and open collaboration. I would also like to acknowledge Kimberly McGuire and Alan G. Sanchez for their guidance throughout the conference. Their support made a real difference in navigating an event of this scale.
One of the most valuable experiences for me was the full-day workshop on aerial robotics with PX4 and ROS2, organized by Dronecode Foundation. It offered a practical look into how these systems operate together for autonomous flight. The final demo by UVify highlighted the potential of this integration in a very clear way. I appreciate the effort that Ramón Roche, Patrik Dominik Pördi, and Beniamino Pozzan put into designing and delivering the workshop.
I also had the opportunity to attend the Women in Robotics lunch meetup, initiated by Anvitha Rajaram. Connecting with women across different areas of robotics and learning from their experiences was an important part for me.
Throughout the conference, I was impressed by the range of projects, the openness of the discussions, and the willingness of people to share their work. It reinforced why ROS continues to be such a strong and collaborative community.
ROSCon 2025 gave me new insights, new connections, and a clearer direction for what I want to focus on next. I look forward to contributing further and to being part of ROSCon 2026.”