Robotics Software

Connectivity for Next-Generation Robotics

No longer the sole province of science fiction, robotics plays a central role across industries and in everyday life, encompassing everything from business-critical and life-saving innovations to handy kitchen devices and children’s toys. If your robotics systems fall into the former category, the prime directive is simple: Outages and downtime are unacceptable and must be avoided at every turn. 

RTI Connext^®, based on the DDS standard, is the connectivity solution for high-stakes, production-ready robotics. It provides a distributed data-centric connectivity framework that is not only reliable, but also adaptable to a wide variety of use cases as requirements evolve. In all cases, this connectivity framework has the power to enable modular software development, increase productivity across the software lifecycle and free experts to focus on new innovations.

Connext is a connectivity framework for next-generation, high-precision robotics, delivering secure, closed-loop control and real-time communication. Connext is used to connect and run human-controlled, collaborative and fully-autonomous robotic systems. Its data-centric approach to connectivity, seamlessly distributes data-in-motion, allowing robotic subsystems to work as a single integrated solution – reliably, securely and in real time. Connext is further enhanced by RTI’s services and support teams, delivering extraordinary value to customers.

Evolution of Autonomous Robotics

Autonomy is an evolving state. Six levels of autonomy are often used to describe how the human/robot interdependencies change as the level of autonomy increases. These levels have been applied to multiple industries - including automotive, medical, manufacturing, aerospace & defense and logistics - to describe this evolution, eliminate confusion and guide development of autonomous systems. RTI provides the connectivity framework for production-ready, next generation robotics in each of these industries by enabling the development of data-centric, autonomous products and systems especially as complexity increases in the higher levels of autonomy.

Production-Grade Deployment 

To comply with the interoperability, security and scalability requirements of commercial deployments, Connext can be easily and fully integrated with Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) software, enabling all the development advantages of working within an environment built on the Data Distribution Service^TM (DDS) standard. As robotics applications scale, Connext enables real-world improvements in efficiency, productivity and reliability, as well as the ability to achieve production-grade deployment.

As an integrating technology, Connext expands the designer’s toolbox to include ROS 2, DDS, AUTOSAR, FACE and others. Connext can help users strengthen their systems and gain new capabilities, enabling users to pursue production-grade deployment of their designs in a variety of industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical, manufacturing, and more.

In tests and in real-world applications, Connext boasts a proven, mature design that delivers ROS 2 compatibility and can help achieve superior performance. Connext Tools and Services, such as Admin Console and Recording Service, respectively, bring exceptional power and value to each implementation. The merged ROS 2 and Connext ecosystem enables ROS 2 tools to work with native Connext applications, offering a hybrid system design approach that brings capabilities far beyond what ROS 2 alone can offer.

Learn about the Connext 6 ROS Middleware Wrapper (RMW) that brings the field-proven, production-grade strength of RTI Connext to ROS 2.

Read more about our new RMW in the November 2020 article in The Robot Report.

Learn from a ROS 2 expert at RTI, how to overcome technical limitations using the framework on which ROS 2 is built - Electronic Design, Jan 2023