Kyoto, Japan (June 3, 2022) — Coarobo GK published its research on a containerized Software Development Environment (SDE) for robotic system integration in Advanced Robotics (AR) , an international peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis on behalf of the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) . The paper is available in open access and highlights a novel approach to streamlining collaborative workflows in robotics research. This research addresses the growing complexity of robotics projects, which often require expertise across multiple disciplines and demand rapid development cycles.
The study, titled "Software Development Environment for Collaborative Research Workflow in Robotic System Integration" , was co-authored by Lotfi El Hafi, Gustavo Garcia, and Felix von Drigalski, the founders of Coarobo GK, in collaboration with Ritsumeikan University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), OMRON SINIC X Corporation, Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT), Panasonic Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation. The proposed SDE leverages containerization and open-source technologies to enable seamless integration and deployment of robotic systems. It empowers teams to focus on their areas of expertise while relying on automated testing and simulation tools to ensure robust performance.
"Our goal was to create a development environment that fosters collaboration and accelerates innovation in robotics," said Lotfi El Hafi, President & Founder of Coarobo GK. "By simplifying the integration process, and containerizing the development toolchain, we hope to enable researchers and engineers to tackle complex challenges more efficiently." The SDE has already been successfully adopted by several research institutions and deployed in international robotics competitions, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness.
Abstract
"Today's robotics involves a large range of knowledge and skills across many disciplines. This issue has recently come to light as robotics competitions attract more talented teams to tackle unsolved problems. Although the tasks are challenging, the preparation cycles are usually short. The teams involved, ranging from academic institutions to small startups and large companies, need to develop and deploy their solutions with agility. Therefore, this paper introduces a containerized Software Development Environment (SDE) based on a collaborative workflow relying on open-source technologies for robotic system integration and deployment. The proposed SDE enables the collaborators to focus on their individual expertise and rely on automated tests and unattended simulations. The analysis of the adoption of the proposed SDE shows that several research institutions successfully deployed it in multiple international competitions with various robotic platforms."
Links
- L. El Hafi, G. A. Garcia Ricardez, F. von Drigalski, Y. Inoue, M. Yamamoto, and T. Yamamoto, "Software Development Environment for Collaborative Research Workflow in Robotic System Integration" , in RSJ Advanced Robotics (AR), Special Issue on Software Framework for Robot System Integration, vol. 36, no. 11, pp. 533-547, Jun. 3, 2022. DOI: 10.1080/01691864.2022.2068353
- Advanced Robotics (AR)
- Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ)
- Taylor & Francis