RT-middleware (Robotics Technology Middleware) is a common computing platform technical standard for robots based on distributed object technology. RT-middleware supports the construction of various networked robotic systems by integrating various network-enabled robotic elements named RT-Components, which specification standard is discussed and defined by the Object Management Group (OMG).
Properties
In the RT-middleware, robotics elements, such as actuators, are regarded as RT-components, and the whole robotic system is constructed by connecting such components. This distributed architecture helps developers reuse the robotic elements and boosts the reliability of a system.
Each RT-component has a port as an endpoint for communicating to other RT-components. Every port has its type and the ports which have the same type can be connected each other.
RT-components also have state, so they behave as finite-state machines. The states they can have are: CREATED, INACTIVE, ACTIVE, and ERROR. States and behaviors are controlled by the execution-context. If component behavior must be changed, the execution-context can be replaced at runtime.
Implementations
RT-middleware is only a standard of the Robotics platform software. Implementations include:
- OpenRTM-aist is based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) platform developed by National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Using CORBA properties, OpenRTM-aist is available for environments with multiple platforms and programming languages.3
- OpenRTM.NET is for the .NET Framework.4
- RTM on Android is being implemented on Android (operating system).5
- RTC Lite is a future modified RT-middleware for embedded or small-resource systems.6
- RTM Safety to pass the IEC 61508 standard.7
Related projects
- Robot Operating System (ROS) – C++ software framework developed by Willow Garage.89
- Open Robot Control Software (Orocos) – C++ software framework for component-based robot control software10
- OPRoS11 developed by Korea Association of Robot Industry (KAR)12
See also
- Robot
- Open-source robotics
- Middleware
- New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- Object Management Group
- Japan Robot Association
External links
- RT-middleware Project (Japanese)
- OpenRTM-aist
- OpenRT Platform
- VirCA - Virtual Collaboration Arena framework powered by RT-Middleware
References
Ando, Noriaki; Suehiro, Takashi; Kitagaki, Kosei; Kotoku, Tetsuo; Yoon, Woo-Keun (August 2005). RT-Middleware: Distributed Component Middleware for RT (Robot Technology). IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2005). Edmonton, Canada. pp. 3555–3560. /wiki/Edmonton ↩
"Robotics Technology Component Specification version 1.0". Object Management Group (OMG). http://www.omg.org/spec/RTC/1.0/ ↩
OpenRTM-aist official website, http://www.openrtm.org/ https://www.openrtm.org/ ↩
SEC. Co., Ltd., [SEC, Robot Site http://www.sec.co.jp/robot/download_rtm.html] http://www.sec.co.jp/robot/download_rtm.html ↩
SEC. Co., Ltd., [RTM Safety http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/] http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/ ↩
SEC. Co., Ltd., [RTM Safety http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/] http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/ ↩
SEC. Co., Ltd., [RTM Safety http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/] http://www.sec.co.jp/english/business/rtmsafety/ ↩
"ROS – Robot Operating System". ROS.org. https://www.ros.org/ ↩
"willowgarage.com". Willow Garage. http://www.willowgarage.com/ ↩
Orocos.org http://www.orocos.org/ ↩
"OPRoS". 3 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20110704131738/http://210.115.36.125:8001/opros_en/dokuwiki/doku.php ↩
"KAR". Korea Association of Robot Industry. https://www.korearobot.or.kr/ ↩