The Robot Software Communications Architecture (RSCA): QoS-Aware Middleware for Networked Service Robots

Abstract

The ubiquitous robot companion (URC) project has been recently launched in Korea with an aim of putting networked service robots into practical use in residential environments by overcoming technical challenges of home service robots. Embedded middleware is surely one of such challenges since it has to deal with many critical and difficult problems such as real-time guarantees and software reconfigurability on a heterogeneous, distributed mechatronics system. In this paper, we adopt middleware called SCA from the software defined radio domain and extend it for use in URC robots. We call the end result Robot Software Communications Architecture (RSCA). The RSCA provides a standard operating environment for robot applications together with a framework that expedites the development of such applications. The operating environment is comprised of a real-time operating system, communication middleware, and deployment middleware, which collectively form a hierarchical structure. Specifically, the RSCA deployment middleware supports the reconfiguration of component-based robot applications including installation, creation, start, stop, tear-down, and un-installation. Since the original SCA lacks real-time guarantees and QoS support, we have significantly extended it while maintaining backward compatibility so that URC robot developers can use existing SCA tools. We have fully implemented RSCA and performed measurements to quantify its run-time performance. Our implementation clearly shows the viability of RSCA.

Software architectures for robotic systems: A systematic mapping study

“…A robotic system is a combination of hardware and software components (two distinct layers) that can be integrated to build a robot [10,11]. The ISO 8373:2012 standard provides a vocabulary of robots and various robotic devices that operate in industrial and non-industrial environments.…”

“…This creates a web of co-operative robots that are autonomous individually and can also work as a team for an efficient completion of designated tasks. In the following, we clarify the similarities and distinctions among service and cloud-based architectures for robotic software -Cloud vs Service-based Architectures for Robotic Software in the context of software architecture, the terms service and cloud computing are complementary, both denoting the architectural style(s) and enabling technologies to develop and deploy architectural components as dynamically composed software services [11,15]. However, we must distinguish between the concept of service-driven [14] and cloud-based robotics [15] while also acknowledging the fact that (software) services remain fundamental to both types.…”

Robotics Middleware: A Comprehensive Literature Survey and Attribute-Based Bibliography

“…RSCA (Robot Software Communication Architecture) [60], developed in Seoul National University, is a robot middleware for networked home service robots. Skilligent Robot Behavior Learning System [61], RoboFrame [62][63][64][65], SmartSoft [66][67][68][69], iRobot AWARE [70], developed by iRobot, and ASEBA [71,72] are some examples of robotic middleware platforms.…”

“…RSCA "consists of a real-time operating system, a communication middleware, and a deployment middleware called core framework" [60]. CARMEN [84] consists of three layers: the base layer to hide the low-level details of the hardware, the navigation layer to provide navigation primitives, such as motion planning, localization, and dynamic object tracking, and "the third tier is reserved for user-level tasks employing primitives from the second tier".…”

“…Table 2 summarizes the real-time capability for each middleware. RSCA [60] provides real-time capability, if the operating environments support RT-CORBA and POSIX RT profile (PSE52) (clarified via correspondences with the author Dr. Seongsoo Hong). In CLARAty, most modules are real time and operate under VxWorks and QNX RTOS (clarified via correspondences with the author Dr. Issa Nesnas).…”