Robotics Middleware
- Middleware
Middleware is computer software that provides services to software applications beyond those available from the operating system. It can be described as "software glue".[1]
Middleware makes it easier for software developers to implement communication and input/output, so they can focus on the specific purpose of their application.
- Robotics middleware
Robotics middleware is middleware to be used in complex robot control software systems.
"...robotic middleware is designed to manage the complexity and heterogeneity of the hardware and applications, promote the integration of new technologies, simplify software design, hide the complexity of low-level communication and the sensor heterogeneity of the sensors, improve software quality, reuse robotic software infrastructure across multiple research efforts, and to reduce production costs."[1]
It can be described as "software glue" to make it easier for robot builders focus on their specific problem area.[2]
- Which middleware should I use?
- Recently many robots and sensors support ROS.
- ROS is most widely used, i.e. there are many packages and tools.
- Some robots support middleware other than ROS
- e.g. Officially, HRP4 uses OpenRTM, iCub uses YARP.
- There are a bridge between OpenRTM-ROS and YARP-ROS.