Live
Connect to a live robotics stack to visualize and interact with data as it's produced: inspect topic data, publish messages, call services, and teleoperate.
Choosing a connection
To connect, open the connection dialog: click Open connection on your Foxglove dashboard, or use the app menu in the top-left corner of the visualization. Then choose one of the connection types below.
Remote access is the simplest way to connect, and a good default for most users. Once a gateway is running, you connect by picking the device from a list, with no address to enter or network to configure. Built for real-world networks, it also works behind firewalls and on cellular, keeps latency low on lossy links, and fans out to multiple simultaneous viewers. It's available to all seat types.
Choose a direct connection over Foxglove WebSocket, Rosbridge, or ROS 1 when you want every message delivered reliably, or to connect to an existing Rosbridge or native ROS 1 stack. Direct connections require a developer seat.
Remote access
With remote access, the device connects out to the Foxglove platform, which brokers the connection to your client, so the device doesn't need to be reachable from your machine.
Run a gateway with the Foxglove Bridge for a ROS stack, or with the Foxglove SDK for a custom or non-ROS stack. In the dialog, select a device with an active gateway rather than entering an address.
Foxglove WebSocket
A direct connection to a server on the device over your own network, without routing through the Foxglove platform. It delivers every message reliably, but the device must be reachable from your machine (same network, VPN, or port forwarding).
Run a server with the Foxglove Bridge for a ROS stack, or with the Foxglove SDK for a custom or non-ROS stack.
Rosbridge
A direct connection to an existing rosbridge_suite deployment over WebSocket, for ROS 1 and ROS 2. Supported for compatibility with existing deployments; for new setups we recommend the Foxglove Bridge instead.
ROS 1
A direct native connection to a running ROS 1 master, available in the desktop app only. Set ROS_MASTER_URI and ROS_HOSTNAME to point Foxglove at your master.
Feature support
Live features depend on the software providing the connection:
| Foxglove SDK | Foxglove Bridge | Rosbridge | ROS 1 native | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROS 1 messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ROS 2 messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Other formats (JSON, Protobuf, etc.) | ✓ | |||
| Publish messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call services | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Call actions | ||||
| Read and set parameters | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Remote access | ✓ | ✓ |