ERSP: a software platform and architecture for the service robotics industry

In this paper we describe the need for, and the characteristics of a software architecture for commercial robotic products. We describe the Evolution Robotics Software Platform (ERSP™), which provides a commercial-grade software architecture for mobile robots. The architecture has been designed to be modular, scalable, lightweight, portable, and reusable. It follows a hybrid model of data flow, combining behavior-based processing modules for real-time reactions with event-based task planning routines. We provide a detailed description of the main architectural components and some basic usage studies. We also highlight areas where compromises have been made and for which continuing work is needed.