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Different ways to develop software for MARS robots There are several ways to develop for MARS. This page covers the different approaches and their trade-offs. The recommended approach is to use a VSCode-based IDE with remote SSH so you can edit directly on the robot with full IDE features, use AI-assisted tooling, access the robot file system seamlessly, and run/debug in the real robot environment; compatible options include Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity, and VSCode, and all support Remote - SSH (built-in or extension) so developing on MARS feels local.

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Connecting via SSH

1

Install Remote - SSH

If you use vanilla VSCode, install the Remote - SSH extension first.
2

Open Command Palette

Use Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux).
3

Connect to host

Run Remote-SSH: Connect to Host....
4

Enter SSH target

Use the robot IP/hostname and credentials from Connecting via SSH.
5

Open workspace

Once connected, open your robot workspace folder (for example /home/jetson1/innate-ws/).
For default credentials, IP addresses, and connection methods (WiFi vs USB-C), see Connecting via SSH.

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Tips for SSH Development

Set up SSH keys to avoid repeated password prompts, keep the connection stable with ServerAliveInterval in your ~/.ssh/config, and use the integrated terminal to run ROS2 commands and test agents directly on the robot.

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Alternative: Local Development with Deployment

You can also develop locally and deploy to MARS by writing and testing on your machine, copying files with scp or rsync, then SSHing into the robot to run and validate. This works well when network connectivity is limited, when you prefer your local environment, or when you are working on code that does not need robot hardware for initial iteration.

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Direct SSH Terminal

For quick edits or debugging, you can SSH directly into MARS using terminal-based editors like nano or vim. See Connecting via SSH for connection details. This is best for quick configuration changes, viewing logs, and running diagnostic commands.