Integrating advanced software capabilities with multiple networked devices from different vendors is a constant challenge for modern industrial automation. It could lead to rapidly escalating complexity and cost, and in many cases is limiting the adoption of automation. As a result, most automation efforts use tried-and-true solutions and avoid new technologies until absolutely necessary. This hesitation encourages the status quo and impedes innovation. This project aims to bridge these gaps by using Robot Raconteur (RR) as a plug-and-play solution to robotics and automation integration tasks. RR is an advanced augmented object-oriented middleware technology specifically designed to provide true plug-and-play interoperability capabilities for automation/robotics systems. RR is developed by Dr. John Wason, and has been used extensively at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and other sites. The objective of this project is to increase the RR Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from TRL 4 to TRL 5 and illustrates the RR plug-and-play capability with multiple industrial robots and sensors through a multi-robot/multi-sensor demonstration.
Project Video: https://youtu.be/3jhDXIRUiQY
Robot Raconteur: an Interoperable Middleware for Robotics
ARM Institute
John T. Wen
This project aims to bridge a major gap in the current state of industrial robots: easy, rapid, and secure integration of robots, sensors, peripherals, and simulation software from multiple vendors and platforms. Our approach is based on Robot Raconteur (RR) which is an advanced augmented object-oriented middleware technology specifically designed to provide true plug-and-play interoperability capabilities for automation/robotics systems. The objective of this project is to increase the RR Technology Readiness Level to bring it from research environment to industrial usage. Towards this goal, this project includes a robotic system end user, Raytheon Technology Research Center (RTRC), and a system integrator and developer, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to provide requirements and feedback. The project consists of five tasks: 1. Collect user requirements. 2. Expand RR drivers. 3. Develop RR service definition standards. 4. Demonstration. 5. Training.