6. ROS as Integration Medium for Service Robotics

Software development for large projects can be time consuming. Software frameworks offer basic tools to speed up and streamline the development process. The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a framework and middleware for software development in robotics applications. It is a framework because it provides a series of tools that enhance software development, but it is also a middleware since it includes operating system-like capabilities, such as process management, data transfer management and more. This chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of ROS as an integration medium for service robotics, and the describes the ROS part of the RADIO Home system and discusses the methodologies followed and how they can be applied to any large scale ROS project.