Europe’s industrial landscape is reshaping fast to safeguard autonomy and sovereignty. Geopolitics, new regulations and rising costs are forcing companies to review their bills of materials, swap components and near-shore supply chains — moves that can introduce risks and cost pressures alongside new opportunities. This track delves into how to turn those challenges into a competitive edge. From robust supplier-selection processes and design-for-future-component swaps to advanced automation and quality inspection, we’ll show how design-to-cost methods combined with Industry 4.0 technologies — precision manufacturing, smart sensors, robotics and IoT-enabled platforms — can boost efficiency, manage risk and transform complexity into advantage. Check out the presentations from the Innovation Day of 2024 on:

• Next-gen efficiency with local processor platforms & OS innovations
  By Rudy Van Raemdonck, Coordinator EmbeddedLab at Verhaert Product Innovation
• Navigating nearshoring in Europe: A systems thinking approach
  By Thomas Degreef, Consultant PhysicsLab at Verhaert Product Innovation and Sam Van den Driessche, Consultant MechLab at Verhaert Product Innovation
• Cyber resilience for digital products: Addressing supply chain challenges in the European industry
  By Bart De Vos, Consultant EmbeddedLab at Verhaert Product Innovation and Jasper Bogaerts, Software Engineer at Verhaert Digital Innovation

View the presentation

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The current cloud landscape

US cloud platforms dominate the global market. According to recent estimates, about 85% of European enterprises rely on at least one major US-based cloud service. This isn’t necessarily because there aren’t any qualitative European alternatives, but because they’ve become deeply embedded in the way many organizations work. Their platforms are convenient, widely adopted and tightly integrated with the tools companies already use (Like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace). Over time, this convenience has made US providers the default choice for many European organizations.

However, this reliance comes with hidden complexity. The US Cloud Act grants US authorities the legal right to access data held by American companies, even if the data is stored abroad. For European organizations, this creates a direct conflict with stringent local privacy regulations such as GDPR. While compliance frameworks exist, the fundamental question remains: who ultimately controls the data, and under which legal jurisdiction?

Beyond the legal dimension, the world has entered an era of heightened political and economic instability. Trade tensions, cybersecurity threats and geopolitical disputes all have implications for cross-border data storage. In this context, companies relying on US-based cloud infrastructure may face risks they did not anticipate when they first migrated their workloads. The convenience and innovation offered by global cloud platforms now come with increasingly visible strategic vulnerabilities.

Sovereign cloud: A response to rising complexity

Sovereign cloud offers a compelling answer to this dilemma. At its core, sovereign cloud refers to cloud infrastructure that is hosted, managed and legally controlled within a specific country or region. It is designed to comply with local data protection laws and provide organizations with assurance that their data is subject to domestic jurisdiction rather than foreign legislation.

The concept revolves around three key principles:

• Data residency: Ensuring that data physically resides within a defined geographic boundary.
• Legal control: Allowing local authorities and organizations to maintain oversight over data access.
• Regulatory compliance: Aligning infrastructure with local laws and industry-specific regulations.

Several forces are driving interest in sovereign cloud. European regulations are tightening, and companies handling sensitive information (like financial institutions, healthcare providers and government agencies) face mounting compliance obligations. At the same time, concerns over geopolitical volatility are influencing strategic IT decisions. A disruption in the relationship between the US and Europe, for example, could expose companies to unexpected legal or operational risks.

As a result, sovereign cloud is gaining traction. Several European initiatives, both public and private, aim to build cloud infrastructure that remains under domestic control. National and regional governments are increasingly investing in sovereign cloud projects, while European companies are exploring partnerships with local providers to reduce dependency on foreign platforms. This trend reflects a shift in priorities: speed and scale remain important, but regulatory certainty and geopolitical resilience are becoming equally crucial.

Implications for businesses and the cloud market

For European companies, the rise of sovereign cloud signals a shift in the calculus of cloud adoption. Cost and convenience are no longer the only factors: legal compliance, geopolitical risk and long-term strategic resilience are becoming equally important. Companies may need to rethink their cloud strategies, assessing whether relying on non-sovereign platforms exposes them to unnecessary regulatory or operational risk.

The trend also affects cloud providers themselves. US-based giants face growing pressure to localize their infrastructure or establish partnerships with European entities to address sovereignty concerns. Meanwhile, European and other regional cloud providers have a significant opportunity to differentiate themselves through offerings that guarantee local control and regulatory compliance.

From a market perspective, the sovereign cloud movement represents both a challenge and an opportunity. For businesses, it’s a chance to align technology with regulatory realities and risk management strategies. For providers, it’s a chance to innovate and expand services in response to shifting customer priorities. Analysts predict that as political and regulatory pressures increase, adoption of sovereign cloud solutions will accelerate, particularly among organizations handling sensitive data or operating in highly regulated industries.

Rethinking cloud dependence

While it is not a cure-all, sovereign cloud is more than a technical trend, it is a reflection of a broader shift in how organizations think about data, governance and risk. In a world of increasing political complexity and regulatory scrutiny, understanding this shift, and its implications for business strategy, is essential for companies that want to navigate the cloud with both confidence and foresight.

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The misconception of ‘just an app’

Though you can digitalize a physical product by just adding an app, its potential value creation will typically remain very limited. True digital transformation is about creating a digital ecosystem, a group of connected tech tools that work together. If you don’t think about the whole system, you might not even realize what you’re leaving on the table.

The idea of a digital ‘ecosystem’ might sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Their complexity can vary though. Often, digital ecosystems involve the interconnection between different systems, ranging from ERP systems to other IT operating systems to online platforms, external data providers, etc.

Put your smartest brains together to think about the potential of an integrated physical and digital value proposition, then develop a feasible development plan, and you can finetune your roadmap over time. For example, you can start by collecting data now and set up tools to analyze it later. In a later stage, you can then also use those analytics to improve the value to your customers as you develop your offering further.

Building the digital ecosystem

A solid digital ecosystem starts with data gathering, governance and connectivity. Once these basics are in place, you can shape the ecosystem however you need. Whether it’s cloud, edge, or a mix, and whether you need an app or an online platform, you can figure out what works best for your company at each step of the process.

The ecosystem needs to integrate seamlessly with your existing processes and systems, but it doesn’t have to be overly complex. To keep it manageable, start by defining system boundaries, identifying potential problem areas, and linking only the necessary parts. This approach avoids creating overly dependent systems that can be hard to manage.

Building a digital ecosystem is a team effort that brings together many parts of the innovation process. From mechanics, firmware and connectivity to data engineering, security, sales and operations, a multidisciplinary team is key to making it work effectively.

Exploring the business case, what’s in it for you

It’s no secret that building a digital ecosystem requires a significant investment. The rewards can be substantial though. It’s not just about making operations more efficient or cutting maintenance and production costs by removing unused components. Digitalization opens doors to new opportunities, like creating in-app services behind a paywall or shifting from one-off sales to subscription- or service-based models. These changes can unlock fresh revenue streams, increase switching costs and hence customer loyalty, and even new markets and customer segments.

However, it’s important to plan for ongoing costs. Maintaining networks, firmware and the ecosystem itself requires dedicated roles and expertise. Plus, implementing these new processes demands effort, from gaining initial customer buy-in to training teams on new workflows. Lastly, anything connected can be hacked, so ensuring state-of-the-art security measures and budgeting for them is non-negotiable.

Conclusion

The technologies driving digital ecosystems are advancing rapidly, just look at the leaps AI has made in the past year. By integrating these tools from the start of your conceptualization process, you unlock their full potential. Taking the leap may feel daunting, but the rewards are undeniable. Dive in, and you’ll always gain something valuable from the journey.

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EU Right to Repair Directive in a nutshell

The EU Right to Repair Directive entered into force in July 2024 to extend the lifespan of products, reduce waste and empower consumers. It requires manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repairers with the necessary tools, spare parts and information to repair products. Initially targeting household appliances and electronics, the directive sets clear standards for durability and accessibility, aiming to shift from a disposable economy to a circular one. For manufacturers, this means rethinking product design and supply chains, balancing compliance with the opportunity to build sustainable, customer-focused solutions that align with growing market and regulatory demands.

The role of digital product passports

Digital product passports (DPPs) are gaining momentum as industries, governments and consumers recognize their potential to enhance transparency, sustainability and product lifecycle management. This solution creates a digital record that travels with a product throughout its lifecycle, capturing essential information from origin to end of life. Think of it as a digital ID card for products that cover manufacturing details, sustainability metrics, compliance status, material sources and even recycling or repair instructions.

Unlike static documentation, DPPs update in real-time, allowing companies to streamline compliance with the directive, reduce manual reporting as well as cut down waste and costs. Take for example a washing machine. Equipped with a DPP, it can store a user manual, repair instructions, component specifications and warranty details. When scanned, consumers and repair professionals can access the exact parts and guidance needed to fix the appliance, ultimately strengthening the relationship with your customers.

Mapping the impact of DPPs across key sectors

The Right to Repair Directive specifically targets industries with high environmental footprints or significant repair potential:

• Consumer electronics: Simplifying repairs for products like smartphones, TVs and household appliances
• Automotive: Improving traceability for spare parts and sustainability in electric vehicles and batteries
• Industrial equipment: Managing machinery lifecycles more easily through regular maintenance or upgrades

Regardless of the industries impacted by the directive, DPPs deliver tangible benefits in various other industries:

• Fashion and textiles: Verifying authenticity and tracking material origins to address counterfeiting and sustainability challenges
• Food and beverages: Ensuring farm-to-fork traceability, enabling consumers to verify organic claims or fair-trade certifications
• Pharmaceuticals: Tracking the provenance and safety of medicines, supporting compliance with stringent regulatory standards

From recurring challenges to transformative potential

Adopting digital product passports might feel like a big ask: there are initial costs, complex integrations and stakeholder buy-in to consider. Let’s look into recurring challenges companies face and how to choose the right approach to meet these challenges head-on.

• Data quality: Collecting the right, high-quality data is essential to ensure transparency and traceability across a product’s lifecycle. Because data is often fragmented across supply chains, many manufacturers struggle with this. Ensuring accuracy and completenes is a necessary investment though, as it’s the basis of the entire project.
• Evolving user and regulatory requirements: The regulatory landscape surrounding the Right to Repair Directive and DPPs is still developing, with change likely to emerge over time. At the same time, companies must ensure their chosen solutions are not only compliant today but also flexible to future customer expectations and needs.
• Infrastructure gaps and integration challenges: To integrate DPPs into existing systems, companies need to ensure compatibility with various IT environments, often creating issues with data standardization, scalability, interoperability and data security. Especially, legacy systems often lack compatibility with modern solutions, while the high cost of upgrades and training can strain resources, especially for smaller businesses.

Despite these obstacles, DPPs hold immense potential, whether off-the-shelf or custom. Each come with distinct advantages. In general, off-the-shelf DPP solutions offer quick deployment and standardized features, making them ideal for businesses looking to meet basic compliance requirements without extensive development efforts. However, they may lack the flexibility to address industry-specific needs or complexities. In contrast, custom DPP systems allow businesses to tailor their approach to their specific products, processes and customer demands. While the development process may require a greater initial investment, they enhance adaptability, improve scalability and offer a competitive edge on the long term.

Long-term gains for those who push through

By now it should be clear that digital product passports are not just regulatory tools, they enable a sustainable, transparent and consumer-centric future. By combining cutting-edge technology with evolving regulatory frameworks, DPPs empower industries to embrace the principles of a circular economy while enhancing customer trust and product value.

As the EU and other regions strengthen sustainability mandates, DPPs will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of product lifecycle management, benefitting businesses, consumers, and the planet alike.

Want to know more about the potential of a digital product passport? Check out our Reynaers case!

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The power of infrastructure-as-code

Infrastructure-as-code has quickly transformed how organizations manage their infrastructure. Why is that? First and foremost, IaC drastically lowers the amount of manual labor necessary to set up, scale and maintain your infrastructure, reducing costs, increasing SLA and reducing human errors. In addition, it greatly improves scalability and consistency because you’re using the same code every time. IaC scripts are stored in version control systems which allows for tracking changes, collaboration and rollbacks if needed.

We’ve seen firsthand how the right choice of IaC tools can streamline operations, accelerate time-to-market, and reduce overhead. But we’ve also seen the repercussions when the wrong tools are selected—delays, increased costs, and frustrated teams. The choice between tools like Microsoft Bicep and Terraform isn’t just a technical decision; it’s a strategic one that impacts your effectiveness and future-proofness. Each has its strengths and challenges, how do you know which one is right for your project?

Bicep vs. Terraform: diving into the key differences

When it comes to managing cloud infrastructure, organizations have a variety of tools at their disposal, each with its own strengths and challenges. Two of the most prominent IaC tools are Microsoft Bicep and Terraform, let’s explore the key benefits and challenges of both tools, helping you determine which one might be the best fit for your needs.

Microsoft Bicep

Bicep is a domain-specific language developed by Microsoft as a simplified alternative to Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates. It is designed specifically for deploying and managing infrastructure on Microsoft Azure, offering a more user-friendly and readable syntax than its predecessor, ARM templates.

Key benefits

• Strong integration with Azure: Bicep is designed specifically for Azure, providing seamless integration with its services and native support for resource types. This makes it a powerful choice for managing Azure infrastructure.
• Simplified syntax: Bicep offers a cleaner and more concise syntax than ARM templates, making it easier to read, write and maintain. This is especially beneficial for teams who may find ARM templates verbose or difficult to work with.
• Built-in linting and validation features: Bicep comes with built-in linting and validation capabilities, which help catch errors and ensure best practices are followed during development. This can save time and effort by preventing deployment issues due to syntax errors or misconfigurations.

Main challenges

• Over-engineering modules: Creating overly complex, generic modules can lead to difficulties in maintenance and adaptation. It’s essential to strike a balance between reusability and maintainability.
• Limited module sharing outside of repositories: Bicep modules are primarily shared within repositories, limiting their accessibility across teams and organizations. Azure Bicep Registry (currently in preview) aims to address this by providing a central repository for sharing and discovering modules.
• Requires Azure-specific knowledge: Bicep is deeply integrated with Azure services and resource types, requiring familiarity with Azure concepts and terminology. If your team is new to Azure, there might be a learning curve involved.

Terraform

Terraform is an open-source IaC tool developed by HashiCorp. It offers a consistent way to manage infrastructure across different platforms. This flexibility makes it a go-to tool for organizations looking to maintain a consistent infrastructure management approach across various environments.

Key benefits

• Large community and provider ecosystem: Terraform boasts a vast community of users and contributors, which translates into a wealth of knowledge, tutorials and support. Additionally, the extensive ecosystem of providers allows you to manage resources across various cloud platforms and services (beyond Google Cloud, AWS and Azure).
• Flexibility to manage multi-cloud environments: Terraform’s provider model allows you to manage resources across multiple cloud providers (ex. Google Cloud, AWS and Azure) within the same configuration. This is a significant advantage for organizations with a multi-cloud strategy or hybrid infrastructure.
• Strong support for state management: Terraform excels at state management, providing a mechanism to track the current state of your infrastructure and plan changes accordingly. This is crucial for ensuring consistency and avoiding accidental modifications or deletions.

Main challenges

• Tight coupling between modules: Highly interdependent modules can create a cascading effect of changes, making updates and troubleshooting complex. It’s crucial to design modules with well-defined interfaces and minimal dependencies.
• Challenges managing module versions and compatibility: Terraform modules evolve over time, and managing different versions across projects can be challenging. It’s crucial to implement a versioning strategy (ex. using semantic versioning) and clearly communicate compatibility requirements.
• Risk of infrastructure drift if not properly managed: Infrastructure drift occurs when the actual state of your infrastructure diverges from the desired state defined in your configuration files. This can happen if changes are made directly to the infrastructure outside of Terraform’s control. Terraform’s declarative nature can lead to configuration drift if external changes are made to the infrastructure. To prevent this, it’s essential to use Terraform’s state management to track changes and ensure consistency between your code and the actual infrastructure

And what about cloud development kits

Recently, though, more and more companies are trading in declarative configuration languages (like Bicep and Terraform) for cloud development kits (like AWS CDK and CDKTF). This reflects an overall need for greater flexibility, expressiveness and integration with modern software development practices. And here’s why:

• Programming language flexibility: Although declarative languages are good for straightforward infrastructure, they’re typically limited to a specific domain and lack the expressive power of general-purpose programming languages that complex scenarios require. Using CDKs makes the code more reusable, modular and easier to maintain.
• Improved developer experience: With CDKs, developers can use familiar development practices like testing, version control, and debugging enhances productivity and reduces the learning curve.
• Enhanced abstractions and reusability: Typically declarative languages require repetitive configuration code, even for common patterns. While some tools support modules or templates to promote reuse, they often lack the flexibility and power provided by CDKs.
• Dynamic configuration capabilities: CDKs provide dynamic capabilities, allowing the creation of infrastructure that can adapt based on conditions or inputs. This dynamic nature is useful for scenarios where infrastructure needs to vary based on environment, scale or other factors.
• Better integration with application code: Declarative languages typically separate infrastructure configuration from application code, which can lead to challenges in maintaining consistency and integration between the two. CDKs facilitate seamless integration between infrastructure and application code since you use the same programming language and tools.

Weighing the pros and cons of leading IaC tools

For enterprises deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, Bicep offers seamless Azure integration and a streamlined approach that can enhance efficiency and reduce overhead. Meanwhile, Terraform’s multi-cloud flexibility and powerful state management position it as a strong choice for organizations managing diverse infrastructure across multiple platforms. CDKs, with their unparalleled flexibility and integration capabilities, may be attractive for innovation-focused teams but require careful consideration of the complexities they introduce, particularly in terms of maintainability, onboarding and predictability.

Selecting the right IaC tool is critical to achieving your strategic objectives and maintaining a competitive edge. Whether you’re considering Microsoft Bicep, Terraform, or CDKs, the decision isn’t just about the technical features but about aligning the tool with your organization’s broader goals and operational frameworks. Not sure where to start? Let’s explore how we can tailor the best IaC solution to drive your organization forward.

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Artificial intelligence

I know we’re kicking in an open door, but if you think we’re at the peak of AI in innovation, think again. Where last year companies were experimenting with generative AI, and machine learning in general, these experiments will reach maturity in 2024 and the first outcomes and successes will only spark further innovation. AI will become more and more integrated into our daily private and working lives.

The technology will further prove its opportunities to increase productivity, boost customer experiences and improve decision-making based on facts and insights. Think copilots, autonomous vehicles, facial recognition, AR, disease detection, threat prevention, the list goes on. Effectively incorporating AI into the digital transformation journey to create true added value will prepare businesses for the future.

• Watch our webinar on AI-infused innovation
• Explore the potential of connected appliances and AI

Clean technologies

As everyone continues to admire the opportunities with (generative) AI and machine learning, it’s very easy to forget about the massive impact these technologies have on our environment. Take ChatGPT for example. Current (conservative) calculations estimate that the tool generates about 43.000kg of CO2 per day. That’s the equivalent of the carbon footprint of 80 people. Per day, and that’s just to keep it running.

This issue will only grow as more and more applications are being released, more and more data is collected, which then again will be used to train more and larger (and smarter) models. Will 2024 be the year we also focus on making them more clean and energy efficient?

• Learn how to design energy-efficient deep-learning algorithms
• Watch our webinar on the future of energy-efficient AI systems

Independent platform development

If we can believe current predictions, BigTech will only continue to grow in the coming years. So why then do we believe independent solutions are also on the rise? Relying on ready-made solutions from tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Intel and NVIDIA means a lack of personalization and competitive features. And those happen to be two of the most pressing issues of digital solutions, your differentiation toward competitors.

They are following the example of companies like Tesla, take back ownership and developing platforms and components custom to your company’s needs. This allows them flexibility and out-of-the-box offerings. It reflects a desire for autonomy in technology development, aligning solutions precisely with organizational needs and market demands, while maintaining control over costs, data, and strategic direction.

• Discover how Tesla redefined the driving experience
• Learn how Cowboy redefined the e-bikes with a software-first approach

Data-driven innovation

It’s clear that data will continue to be at the heart of digital transformation in 2024. The rise of smart and connected products and services, not only enables companies to provide better and instant experiences for the end user, it could also give them a lot of data. Using that data strategically will help you set up the right systems from the start to collect not just any data, but valuable data.

Leveraging these large and complex datasets with advanced AI then allows you to extract crucial insights to put you at the forefront of innovation. Going beyond efficiency gains, these strategic insights can help you in the decision-making process as well as create new added value. The first step in every process is awareness, then you can dig deeper into those insights to get to the root of it.

• Find out how to accelerate digital innovation with data
• Discover how Cochlear collects and uses user data

AR/VR/MR

A question that comes back every year, is if AR, MR and VR will make their big comeback. And year after year, we come to the realization it did’t really take off. Nevertheless, these systems did continue advancing and especially the surge of AI could make them more accessible and attractive to businesses and consumers.

So could this mean that AR, MR and VR will get a strong foolhold in not just in the gaming industry, but also in retail, maintenance, healthcare, learning and navigation?
We for sure believe there are many opportunities for grabs, like virtual try-ons, home previews, remote assistance, patient follow-ups, online and virtual training, safety measures (virtually) and so much more.

• Discover Reynaers’ dashboard update with VR product visualizer
• Introducing REISS, marking new era in minimally-invasive spine surgery

And what about…

Web3.0, blockchain, NFTs, the metaverse, quantum computing, AGI, drones, robots, traveling to Mars, creating brain interfaces, self-driving cars, room temperature superconductors, hyperloops, nuclear fusion, streaming games, super fast internet from space, self-healing materials, autonomous vessels, TikTok’s world domination, X, … we’re all following that up for you. Stay tuned!

2024 is already showing it’ll be a pivotal year for digital innovation, where strategic decisions will shape the future of businesses. Time to embrace these trends and stay ahead in an ever-evolving digital landscape!

Ready to chart your course in the digital revolution? Get in touch to start your journey to digital excellence!

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This article explores the transformative power of innovative software development on user experiences and business expansion. Get ready to dive deep into frontend and backend development, the art of crafting captivating UI/UX experiences, the integration of emerging technologies, and the never-ending pursuit of perfection through continuous improvement. If you’ve ever pondered these questions, you’re in the right place.

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Let’s start by clearing out two main misconceptions about the Robot Operating System (ROS). First of all, it’s not an operating system (OS) and it’s not just useful for robots. But since a ‘Not-Only-For-Robots Not-An-Operating-System’ isn’t quite as catchy, let’s refer to it by its original community-accepted name. Secondly, in this blog we’ll only refer to the robotic mechanical devices and NOT to robotic process automation software.

ROS, what?

What is ROS then? It’s actually a middleware. This means that it’s supposed to be placed between software logic and hardware. It’s similar to a real operating system but needs an operating system platform to run on (usually a Linux distribution). It can’t simply run directly on basic hardware. Moreover, devices need an ROS-specific interface to make use of their power, similar to how operating systems need drivers to access hardware resources.

So if it’s not just for robotics, why does it have ‘robot’ in the name? Because it was developed by the robotics community to be used with robots. Even though it can be used with applications that are not robots, most of the development efforts are directed toward perception, navigation and manipulation tasks. This means that highly complex robotic functionalities are already available in the ROS ecosystem.

ROS, how?

Let’s discuss the core power of ROS: nodes and topics. Nodes are somewhat the atomic pieces of software that implement a desired logic, like retrieving sensor data, capturing images, processing input data or sending input to an actuator. Topics are the communication links between nodes, independent entities that nodes can write or read data from – imagine them as lists of messages like internet chat rooms. These simple mechanisms allow the creation of complex distributed and robust architectures, where the overall system isn’t entirely dependent on the individual. As long as the system design allows it, the entire system is sensor and actuator-agnostic. Imagine a random vacuum cleaner robot: the navigation module doesn’t care if the localization uses lidar, ultrasonic or camera data, or if it’s using wheels, tracks or a propeller to move around.

These components should be easily replaceable, the only necessity is the right ROS node to take the hardware input and offer a standardized output on a specific topic (a driver-like piece of software, as we mentioned before). And here’s another very cool thing: each node can be on a separate computing platform or as many nodes as possible can share the same computing platform at the same time. It’s all up to the application architect to decide. The only prerequisite for ROS is to have a special ‘master’ node running that can be accessed by every other node. The drawback is that if the computing platform running the ‘master node’ disconnects from the system, then the entire system fails.

ROS topology example and in an autonomous car application ©VERHAERT

Above you can find an example of such a topology, as well as applied to a simplified autonomous car application. Keep in mind that each one of these nodes can be on the same or different computer as any of the other nodes. You can even deploy this system on multiple autonomous vehicles and then simply add topics that connect multiple vehicles. The limit of the scalability is set only by the computing or networking resources available.

ROS, why?

‘Standardized’ is another keyword for ROS. Its main goal is to offer a base for true rapid robot prototyping. In 2006, Eric and Keeman decided to create a standard framework for all robots (not yet ROS) when they noticed that in software projects there’s little time left to innovate because most of your time is spent simply making the sensors or actuators work with your system or setting up a communication architecture. The ROS is the successor to their initial framework and it fills the shoes perfectly. No more reinventing the wheel. Once a sensor, actuator or algorithm is successfully interfaced by a developer (or a group), it gets an ROS package made available for everyone to use!

Source: Eric and Keenan pitch deck

We’ve mentioned ‘true rapid prototyping’ before, which might have triggered your spider sense if you’ve spent some time between demonstrators, prototypes and products. Some people tend to oversell the former as the latter, but that’s not the case here. ROS is indeed a prototyping system: it’s not robust enough, doesn’t have real-time capabilities and is easily hackable. Moreover, the master node is required to function at all times.

ROS, next?

ROS2, on the other hand, has a completely different low-level implementation of ROS. It’s still based on nodes and topics, but is far from being a prototyping project and aims to be an industry-ready fully-distributed framework. It has more complex robotic libraries for navigation and manipulation that implement state-of-the-art algorithms and is designed so you can’t develop your packages without abiding by proper software engineering rules. It’s now harder to just create ‘something dirty that works for now’.

Other major changes include the ability to encrypt topics and time synchronization is being handled by the Data Distribution Service, a software framework to reliably and securely communicate in real-time. Furthermore, ROS2 doesn’t have a master node, meaning the application can be entirely distributed across multiple devices without having the inherent critical component. Pretty neat I would say.

Let’s reiterate the key aspects of ROS:

1. Core simplicity
2. Standardization of components
3. Native compatibility with distributed systems
4. Industrial readiness (on the way with ROS2)
5. Available for embedded systems (on the way with ROS2)

It’s clear that ROS is a software to watch. Whether you’re developing a fleet of drones, robot vacuum cleaner, robotic manipulation application, coffee machine or smart beer dispenser, make sure to add this awesome open-source framework in your trade-offs!

Hungry for more? Check out our other blog posts to see how ROS connects hardware with AI!

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