Re: Ciao from GENERIS!

Dear All

I would like to announce that KTH is VERY much interested in
participating in the OROCOS effort. At present the Centre for
Autonomous Systems (CAS) have 3 full-time people working on software
architectures for mobile platforms, mobile manipulation and modular
vehicles. We have extensive experience in systems integration. The
research results have in the past been delivered as commercial and/or
GPL software for companies like ABB, Electrolux, PerMobil, ESTEC,
ITMI, WEDA, Servus, ... and a range of research consortia.

It is clear to me that OROCOS can serve as a catalyst for an Open
Source initiative in robotics, but it can in no way sponsor (in full)
such an endavour and it must be clear to everyone that OROCOS only is
a mechanism to can help us on the way. KTH is ready to invest 1-3
Man-Year / year in such an effort (paid by other means). To me it is
evident that only through joint contribution of resources will we be
able to generate the needed critical mass to make an effort
successful.

We are in particular ready to contribute to basic control for
manipulation, mobility, sensor systems (sonar, laser, vision, ...) and
basic tools for integration. I would encourage that we emphasize a
basic core functionality and refrain from being too ambitious,
generating a solid core is to me more important that doing everything
at once. Also RT-Linux or rather newer RT certified Linux Kernels such
as the one from Minva Systems might be a good starting point from a OS
platform even if OS portability ought to be a interesting issues.

Best wishes for 2001

Henrik