ROS (Robot Operating System) is an open source software development kit i.e., a set of software libraries and tools, to help build robotics applications.  ROS is popular and widely used in the robotics industry. It has gained significant traction and has become the de facto standard for many robotics applications. It simplifies the development and management of robotics applications by providing a robust framework, powerful tools, and a supportive community. 

Industries ranging from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare, agriculture, and more have adopted ROS for various applications, including autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, medical robotics, and research. Its versatility, extensive community support, and adaptability to different hardware platforms have contributed to its popularity and extensive use in the robotics industry. Some notable tech companies have been known to use ROS at varying levels, in their robotics initiatives: Google (Alphabet Inc.), Amazon, Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc.), NVIDIA,  Microsoft, Uber ATG (Advanced Technologies Group), Waymo (Alphabet Inc.), Intel, Bosch, Apple.

To learn more, see Why ROS.