Developing and deploying robotics systems is difficult, time consuming, and error prone, and as a result robotics innovation and commercialization efforts have been slowed or stalled. To address the problem Robot Operating System (ROS)—open source system software for robotics—was developed. ROS includes software libraries, tools, and a run-time environment specifically designed to ease the burden of creating advanced robotic applications.
ROS usage among robotics researchers is widespread and increasing rapidly. ROS is now considered standard technology among robotics researchers, but equally important, the next-generation of robotics engineers will be versed in ROS. Industry support for ROS is also gaining, with a commercial robots and automation products based on ROS entering and succeeding in the market. ROS has the potential to become a foundational software platform for all manner of actuated devices, ranging from service robots to industrial manipulators and on to consumer systems, autonomous vehicles, and more.
This report will address a number of important issues related to Robot Operating System including 1) the commercial use of open source software, 2) the components of the ROS framework, 3) ROS adoption and growth, ROS for industrial systems, 5) the limitations of ROS, and 6) the future of Robot Operating Systems.