FAQ

Q: Is ROS-Industrial compatible with ROS?

A: Yes!

Q: Will it always be compatible with ROS?

A: Yes, though it may lag behind in terms of the ROS release schedule.

Q: How is ROS-I different than ROS?

A: ROS-I builds on ROS by adding Unified Robot Description Formats (URDFs), interface libraries (drivers), and capabilities (packages) that are useful to manufacturing automation. ROS-I relies on the ROS core and is fully compatible with “all things ROS." Besides industrial interoperability, ROS-I focuses on code quality and reliability, because those aspects are important to the manufacturing automation world. To that end, ROS-I includes automatic code quality metrics that inform users and developers about the state of maturity of the code for a given package.

Q: What problem does ROS-I solve?

A: ROS-I solves many problems that will lead to growth of industrial robot use in new application areas:

It makes automation interoperable. Manipulators, end effectors, perception systems/sensors, mobility platforms, and peripherals can all speak one language (ROS messages) and interoperate regardless of OEM brands or communication bus.
It provides advanced capabilities as encapsulated modular libraries for free (like ROS), so that the best technology can be disseminated without the impedance of proprietary vendor-lock, retraining, or price tag.
It provides oversight and structure to the open-source development of manufacturing automation software. Code included in the project is reviewed and automatically assessed for quality metrics.
It provides a conduit for academic research to be vetted and quickly implemented within industry.

Q: Why develop ROS-Industrial as an open-source project?

A: Open-source is attractive for so many reasons:

User-generated content creates value for the whole community and signals the immediate priorities of the user base to all ROS-I developers.
User testing will find and patch bugs quickly.
Users control their own destiny. If a feature is needed, users can always add or change the source code to suit their own purposes.
Open-source, BSD/Apache licensed, code makes it easy for OEMs to adapt ROS-I functionality into their products, thus commoditizing advanced features/functionality and minimizing barriers to interoperability.
The ROS-I open-source community can, and has come together, to share technologies and work towards a common goal.

Q: Does ROS-I compete with ROS?

A: No, it extends ROS to manufacturing automation while maintaining compatibility with ROS and continuing to use/support the ROS core.

Q: Is ROS-I a product?

A: ROS-I is open-source, just like ROS. Because it is BSD/Apache licensed, anyone can embed it in a product for free, or even re-brand it and sell it.

Q: Is ROS-Industrial suitable for real-time control?

A: Like ROS, ROS-I nominally runs on Ubuntu Linux, which is not a real-time OS. ROS-I is fast enough to run closed-loop with perception systems for manufacturing automation applications, but (at least for now) ROS-I must be used as a high-level controller in conjunction with a low-level real-time controller (usually the one from the OEM), which closes servo feedback loops and provides safety behavior (e.g. an E-stop).

Q: How is ROS-I supported, financially?

A: Initially, ROS-I was supported by internal research and development funds from Southwest Research Institute. ROS-I is in transition to being fully supported by the ROS-I Consortium and other funding sources.

Q: Does ROS-I compete with ROS in any way?

A: ROS-I is targeted to meet the needs of manufacturing automation and is not intended to compete with ROS, which generally focused on service and research robotics (e.g., PR2). SwRI and RIC (ROS-Industrial Consortium) will strive to support, improve, and utilize the ROS core and ROS programming tools. ROS-I complements ROS by extending the use of ROS into the manufacturing automation.

Q: Can I develop closed-source software for ROS-I and sell it for profit?

A: Yes! We desire for the ROS-I community to foster all manner of new businesses selling ROS-I compatible software nodes, development tools, GUIs, support and integration services.

Q: Is ROS-I for industrial-grade products sold in the retail market?

A: ROS-I targets manufacturing automation that is used to fabricate/produce products. ROS-I is meant to be used by businesses to improve their manufacturing productivity.

Q: Can I use the ROS-I logo?

A: The ROS-Industrial name and logo are trademarked by SwRI. Permission to use them is required, but generally given for most uses (for permission, email Deb.Schmid@SwRI.org).

Q: How can I get technical support for ROS-I?

A: Please refer to the Tech Support page.

Q: How do I contribute?

A: To contribute code or learn about ongoing coding efforts in which you can take part, email the developers list at: swri-ros-pkg-dev@googlegroups.com.

Q: Do I have to replace my controller with a ROS-I controller?

A: No, ROS-I is not a replacement for an industrial robot controller. ROS-I communicates with an existing industrial controller.

Q: When will ROS-I run on Windows?

A: There are plans to support Windows after ROS 2.0 is released (reference: slide 3 here). Further information regarding ROS 2.0 development can be seen/followed over at ROS Discourse here.