Smart resource integration on ROS-based systems: Highly decoupled resources for a modular and scalable robot development

Abstract

Nowadays robots are evolving from using a central computer unit with high computation capability to a distributed system configuration. Most cases present a robot formed with a central unit, which manages and distributes several specific tasks to some embedded systems on-board. Now these embedded systems are also evolving to more complex systems that are developed not only for executing simple tasks but offering some advanced algorithms just as complex data processing, adaptive execution, or fault-tolerance and alarm rising mechanisms. Smart Resources topology has been raised to manage abstract resources which execution relies on a physical embedded hardware. These resources are defined as a list of distributed services that can configure its execution within a context and quality requirements. Therefore this work introduces how a robot can take the advantage by making use of these Smart Resources. In order to provide a more general implementation Smart Resources are integrated into the ROS (Robot Operating System). As a result robots can make use of all the functions and mechanisms provided by the ROS and the distribution, reliability and adaptability of the Smart Resources. Finally, these advantages are reviewed by implementing a Smart Resource into a robot platform that is running ROS. In addition it is also addressed the flexibility and scalability of implementation by combining real and simulated devices into the same platform. As a result it will be summarized all the advantages of this integration and the potential application and upgrades that can be introduced into the system.