From: Geoffrey B. <gb...@ki...> - 2008-02-08 10:23:37
|
http://gearbox.sourceforge.net Much of the FOSS efforts in robotics have revolved around building software frameworks. Player, Orocos, Carmen, Orca, and others are all results of these efforts: all looking for a way (the "best" way?) to build a complete robotic system. Despite all the efforts, the community has not yet come to a conclusion on the best way to design a robot software framework, or even if there is a "best" way (i.e. it probably depends on specific requirements). Whatever decisions you make regarding frameworks, it would be wise to minimise your risk by disassociating your algorithms/drivers as much as possible from framework code. In other words, keep your algorithms/drivers in a form which does not tie it to a particular framework. These ideas are not new and many agree that it makes perfect sense. So what's new? GearBox is a brand-new project which puts this approach into practice. It is a collection of peer-reviewed independent libraries aiming to provide functional robot software. There is no framework linking the libraries together (although some libraries may depend on others). It doesn't aim to replace any frameworks. Rather, the vision is that the current and future robotic frameworks will compete with each other in how well they can integrate GearBox libraries into complete and diverse robotic systems. Libraries can be submitted by anyone and are peer-reviewed before being accepted into the collection. They must meet certain criteria, detailed on the website. The review process is conducted on a public mailing list; anyone is welcome to provide comments on submitted libraries. Libraries accepted into GearBox remain the ultimate responsibility of the library developer; we won't try to steal your library from you. GearBox is still an infant project. It currently only has one accepted library, a Hokuyo URG laser scanner driver based on the urglaser driver from Player (the review of this library is available in the mailing list archives). A SICK laser scanner driver has been submitted by the Orca project for peer review and will be going through the review process shortly. While we have developed a project principles and outlined the project goals, including the submissions process, we are still and always will welcome any comments on improving these. What GearBox needs now is more libraries. Hardware drivers and software algorithms are both equally welcome. The more libraries GearBox gains, the greater the benefits to the wider robotics community. So check out the project page, and if you have software you think would be beneficial to the robotics community, submit it for review. The GearBox Developers |
From: Herman B. <Her...@me...> - 2008-02-08 10:39:43
|
On Fri, 8 Feb 2008, Geoffrey Biggs wrote: > http://gearbox.sourceforge.net > Great initiative! Thanks for trying this approach... :-) Herman > Much of the FOSS efforts in robotics have revolved around building > software frameworks. Player, Orocos, Carmen, Orca, and others are all > results of these efforts: all looking for a way (the "best" way?) to > build a complete robotic system. > > Despite all the efforts, the community has not yet come to a conclusion > on the best way to design a robot software framework, or even if there > is a "best" way (i.e. it probably depends on specific requirements). > Whatever decisions you make regarding frameworks, it would be wise to > minimise your risk by disassociating your algorithms/drivers as much as > possible from framework code. In other words, keep your > algorithms/drivers in a form which does not tie it to a particular > framework. These ideas are not new and many agree that it makes perfect > sense. So what's new? > > GearBox is a brand-new project which puts this approach into practice. > It is a collection of peer-reviewed independent libraries aiming to > provide functional robot software. There is no framework linking the > libraries together (although some libraries may depend on others). It > doesn't aim to replace any frameworks. Rather, the vision is that the > current and future robotic frameworks will compete with each other in > how well they can integrate GearBox libraries into complete and diverse > robotic systems. > > Libraries can be submitted by anyone and are peer-reviewed before being > accepted into the collection. They must meet certain criteria, detailed > on the website. The review process is conducted on a public mailing > list; anyone is welcome to provide comments on submitted libraries. > Libraries accepted into GearBox remain the ultimate responsibility of > the library developer; we won't try to steal your library from you. > > GearBox is still an infant project. It currently only has one accepted > library, a Hokuyo URG laser scanner driver based on the urglaser driver > from Player (the review of this library is available in the mailing list > archives). A SICK laser scanner driver has been submitted by the Orca > project for peer review and will be going through the review process > shortly. While we have developed a project principles and outlined the > project goals, including the submissions process, we are still and > always will welcome any comments on improving these. > > What GearBox needs now is more libraries. Hardware drivers and software > algorithms are both equally welcome. The more libraries GearBox gains, > the greater the benefits to the wider robotics community. So check out > the project page, and if you have software you think would be beneficial > to the robotics community, submit it for review. > > > The GearBox Developers > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft > Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ > _______________________________________________ > Playerstage-users mailing list > Pla...@li... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/playerstage-users > -- K.U.Leuven, Mechanical Eng., Mechatronics & Robotics Research Group <http://people.mech.kuleuven.be/~bruyninc> Tel: +32 16 322480 Coordinator of EURON (European Robotics Research Network) <http://www.euron.org> Open Realtime Control Services <http://www.orocos.org> Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm |
From: Toby C. <tco...@pl...> - 2008-02-14 01:08:40
|
Sounds good, the way I see this working would be for those wanting to incorporate fancy algorithms (planners/SLAM etc) into player but wanting to achieve the greatest audience can get them accepted into gearbox and then player can wrap gearbox to provide them with its interfaces. Or if their is an algorithm anyone has been wanting in player from another project, porting to gearbox would help with the greatest user community... The big question is do we incorperate the gearbox source tree into the player dist, or do we assume its already installed (and therefore need to test for versions, which drivers were installed..etc..etc...) Toby On 08/02/2008, Herman Bruyninckx <Her...@me...> wrote: > > On Fri, 8 Feb 2008, Geoffrey Biggs wrote: > > > http://gearbox.sourceforge.net > > > Great initiative! Thanks for trying this approach... :-) > > Herman > > > Much of the FOSS efforts in robotics have revolved around building > > software frameworks. Player, Orocos, Carmen, Orca, and others are all > > results of these efforts: all looking for a way (the "best" way?) to > > build a complete robotic system. > > > > Despite all the efforts, the community has not yet come to a conclusion > > on the best way to design a robot software framework, or even if there > > is a "best" way (i.e. it probably depends on specific requirements). > > Whatever decisions you make regarding frameworks, it would be wise to > > minimise your risk by disassociating your algorithms/drivers as much as > > possible from framework code. In other words, keep your > > algorithms/drivers in a form which does not tie it to a particular > > framework. These ideas are not new and many agree that it makes perfect > > sense. So what's new? > > > > GearBox is a brand-new project which puts this approach into practice. > > It is a collection of peer-reviewed independent libraries aiming to > > provide functional robot software. There is no framework linking the > > libraries together (although some libraries may depend on others). It > > doesn't aim to replace any frameworks. Rather, the vision is that the > > current and future robotic frameworks will compete with each other in > > how well they can integrate GearBox libraries into complete and diverse > > robotic systems. > > > > Libraries can be submitted by anyone and are peer-reviewed before being > > accepted into the collection. They must meet certain criteria, detailed > > on the website. The review process is conducted on a public mailing > > list; anyone is welcome to provide comments on submitted libraries. > > Libraries accepted into GearBox remain the ultimate responsibility of > > the library developer; we won't try to steal your library from you. > > > > GearBox is still an infant project. It currently only has one accepted > > library, a Hokuyo URG laser scanner driver based on the urglaser driver > > from Player (the review of this library is available in the mailing list > > archives). A SICK laser scanner driver has been submitted by the Orca > > project for peer review and will be going through the review process > > shortly. While we have developed a project principles and outlined the > > project goals, including the submissions process, we are still and > > always will welcome any comments on improving these. > > > > What GearBox needs now is more libraries. Hardware drivers and software > > algorithms are both equally welcome. The more libraries GearBox gains, > > the greater the benefits to the wider robotics community. So check out > > the project page, and if you have software you think would be beneficial > > to the robotics community, submit it for review. > > > > > > The GearBox Developers > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft > > Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. > > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ > > _______________________________________________ > > Playerstage-users mailing list > > Pla...@li... > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/playerstage-users > > > > -- > K.U.Leuven, Mechanical Eng., Mechatronics & Robotics Research Group > <http://people.mech.kuleuven.be/~bruyninc> Tel: +32 16 322480 > Coordinator of EURON (European Robotics Research Network) > <http://www.euron.org> > Open Realtime Control Services <http://www.orocos.org> > > Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft > Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ > _______________________________________________ > Playerstage-developers mailing list > Pla...@li... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/playerstage-developers > -- This email is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged and/or confidential information |
From: Jordi <mu...@gm...> - 2008-02-16 10:05:15
|
Some issues I can think about: - If all the submitted libraries are independent between them, wouldn't that mean a lot of code replication? Lots of drivers will be similar, etc. - Gearbox is intended to be used by frameworks or by people programming robots. If the later, how it is any different use it from using any other framework? - All the implementations will be C++? (may not be an issue anyway) - Couldn't third party developers take care of retired code of other developers? Or simply improve the code if the license is open? Great idea anyway. On Feb 8, 2008 7:23 PM, Geoffrey Biggs <gb...@ki...> wrote: > http://gearbox.sourceforge.net > > Much of the FOSS efforts in robotics have revolved around building > software frameworks. Player, Orocos, Carmen, Orca, and others are all > results of these efforts: all looking for a way (the "best" way?) to > build a complete robotic system. > > Despite all the efforts, the community has not yet come to a conclusion > on the best way to design a robot software framework, or even if there > is a "best" way (i.e. it probably depends on specific requirements). > Whatever decisions you make regarding frameworks, it would be wise to > minimise your risk by disassociating your algorithms/drivers as much as > possible from framework code. In other words, keep your > algorithms/drivers in a form which does not tie it to a particular > framework. These ideas are not new and many agree that it makes perfect > sense. So what's new? > > GearBox is a brand-new project which puts this approach into practice. > It is a collection of peer-reviewed independent libraries aiming to > provide functional robot software. There is no framework linking the > libraries together (although some libraries may depend on others). It > doesn't aim to replace any frameworks. Rather, the vision is that the > current and future robotic frameworks will compete with each other in > how well they can integrate GearBox libraries into complete and diverse > robotic systems. > > Libraries can be submitted by anyone and are peer-reviewed before being > accepted into the collection. They must meet certain criteria, detailed > on the website. The review process is conducted on a public mailing > list; anyone is welcome to provide comments on submitted libraries. > Libraries accepted into GearBox remain the ultimate responsibility of > the library developer; we won't try to steal your library from you. > > GearBox is still an infant project. It currently only has one accepted > library, a Hokuyo URG laser scanner driver based on the urglaser driver > from Player (the review of this library is available in the mailing list > archives). A SICK laser scanner driver has been submitted by the Orca > project for peer review and will be going through the review process > shortly. While we have developed a project principles and outlined the > project goals, including the submissions process, we are still and > always will welcome any comments on improving these. > > What GearBox needs now is more libraries. Hardware drivers and software > algorithms are both equally welcome. The more libraries GearBox gains, > the greater the benefits to the wider robotics community. So check out > the project page, and if you have software you think would be beneficial > to the robotics community, submit it for review. > > > The GearBox Developers > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft > Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse0120000070mrt/direct/01/ > _______________________________________________ > Playerstage-developers mailing list > Pla...@li... > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/playerstage-developers > -- Jordi Polo Carres NLP laboratory - NAIST http://www.bahasara.org |