Rock

Robot Construction Kit

Rock is a software framework for the development of robotic systems. The underlying component model is based on the Orocos RTT (Real Time Toolkit). Rock provides all the tools required to set up and run high-performance and reliable robotic systems for wide variety of applications in research and industry. It contains a rich collection of ready to use drivers and modules for use in your own system, and can easily be extended by adding new components.
Website: http://www.rock-robotics.org
Keywords: Robots, Framework, Components, Modular, Drivers, Real-time
Status: active
Operating system: Linux
Programming languages: C++, Ruby
Licence: LGPL
Ownership: Since Rock contains a wide collection of tools, there is no single license that applies to all components. Instead each component defines is own license. Mainly LGPL, MIT and New BSD License are in use.
 

Software description

Rock-display provides an overview of running tasks, and allows to look into the status of the modules and preview life data. (Source: Malte Wirkus, DFKI GmbH)

The framework was developed to specifically address the following issues in existing solutions:

Sustainable systems: The architecture and the tools in Rock are designed with long-living systems in mind. In practice, it means that for us, error detection, reporting and handling is key in any robotic architecture.

Scalability: Provide the tools to be able to manage big systems with a minimum fuss. But we don’t require you to learn about these (complex) tools right away: as soon as you use rock’s component development tool, oroGen, you have the guarantee that your components can be integrated from simple scenarios using hardcoded C++ behaviors, to Ruby scripts up to the complete system monitoring tools.

Reusable codebase: Even though we think that the rock toolchain is one of the best out there, some other people might feel differently. And they might be right. That’s why, in rock, most of the functionality – from control to data display through data processing – is implemented in a way that is totally independent from rock’s integration framework. That’s right: just pick our drivers, localization algorithms and control loops and integrate them in your integration framework. You don’t have to do anything on our side, as the code is completely independent from the integration parts.

Rock is used as the software framework for most of the robots at the DFKI and is increasingly adopted in other environments. It is continuously updated to improve reliability and include new features.

References

Application Field: Space Robotics
Underwater Robotics
Agricultural Robotics
Assistance- and Rehabilitation Systems
Electric Mobility
Logistics, Production and Consumer
SAR- & Security Robotics
Related Projects: SAMLER-KI
Semi-autonomous micro rover for lunar exploration using artificial intelligence (11.2022- 10.2025)
TransFIT
Flexible Interaction for infrastructures establishment by means of teleoperation and direct collaboration; transfer into industry 4.0 (07.2017- 12.2021)
Knowledge4Retail
(01.2020- 12.2022)
VeryHuman
Learning and Verifying Complex Behaviours for Humanoid Robots (06.2020- 05.2024)
PERIOD (OG12)
PERASPERA In-Orbit Demonstration (Operational Grant 12) (01.2021- 12.2022)
M-Rock
Human-Machine Interaction Modeling for Continuous Improvement of Robot Behavior (08.2021- 07.2024)
MODKOM
Modular components as Building Blocks for application-specific configurable space robots (07.2021- 06.2024)
NoStrandAMust
Learning Ground Interaction Models to Increase the Autonomy of Mobile Robotic Exploration Systems (02.2022- 01.2025)
VaMEx-APO
Valles Marineris Explorer – Absolute and Fail-Safe Position and Orientation Estimation (09.2022- 08.2025)
VaMEx-RGE
Valles Marineris Explorer – Robust Ground Exploration (09.2022- 08.2025)
KiMMI-SF
Adaptive software framework for context-sensitive, intuitive man-machine-interaction (06.2020- 05.2023)
D-Rock
Models, methods and tools for the model based software development of robots (06.2015- 05.2018)
Entern
Environment Modelling and Navigation for Robotic Space-Exploration (10.2014- 12.2017)
ESROCOS (OG1)
European Space Robot Control Operating System (11.2016- 01.2019)
Hybr‐iT
Hybrid and intelligent human-robot collaboration – Hybrid teams in versatile cyber-physical production environments (11.2016- 10.2019)
iMRK
Intelligent Human-Robot Collaboration (03.2015- 06.2016)
InFuse (OG3)
Common Data Fusion Framework for Space Robotics (11.2016- 01.2019)
Moonwalk
Technologies and Human-Robot Collaboration for Surface EVA Exploration Activities and Training in European Analogue Environments (09.2013- 08.2016)
PRO-ACT (OG11)
Planetary RObots Deployed for Assembly and Construction Tasks (02.2019- 04.2021)
Q-Rock
AI-based Qualification of Deliberative Behaviour for a Robotic Construction Kit (08.2018- 07.2021)
ROBDEKON
Robot systems for decontamination in hostile environments (06.2018- 06.2022)
SARGON
Space Automation & Robotics General Controller (01.2016- 12.2017)
Stardust Reloaded
On-Orbit Servicing with Robotic Manipulators (01.2019- 06.2023)
Related Robots: RH5 Manus
Humanoid robot as an assistance system in a human-optimized environment
RH5
Humanoid robot as an assistance system in a human-optimized environment
iMRK
iMRK Dual-Arm Robot (Photo: Annemarie Popp, DFKI GmbH)
DeepLeng
Exploration-AUV for Long-Term Missions
ARTER
Autonomous Rough Terrain Excavator Robot
Flatfish
Subsea-resident AUV
MANTIS
Multi-legged Manipulation and Locomotion System
Coyote III
YEMO 1.1
Semi Autonomous Micro Rover for Underwater Applications
AILA
Mobile Dual-Arm-Manipulation
ARTEMIS
DLR SpaceBot Cup 2013 Rover
ASGUARD III
Advanced Security Guard V3
ASGUARD IV
Advanced Security Guard V4
ASV
Autonomous Surface Vehicle
AVALON
Autonomous Vehicle for Aquatic Learning, Operation and Navigation
Charlie
iStruct Demonstrator
COMPI
Compliant Robot Arm
Coyote II
High Mobile Micro Rover
CREX
Crater Explorer
DAGON
EO smart connecting car
EO smart connecting car further development in subprojekt ITEM
EO smart connecting car 2
Highly flexible and modular robotic car
Leng
Exploration AUV for long-distance-missions
Orion
Schilling Orion 7P
SeaBotix LBV 150
Sherpa
Expandable Rover for Planetary Applications
SpaceClimber
Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Picture gallery

Log data, can be easily recorded and played back into the processing modules for testing, or post-processing of data. (Source: Leif Christensen, DFKI GmbH)
Log data, can be easily recorded and played back into the processing modules for testing, or post-processing of data. (Source: Leif Christensen, DFKI GmbH)
Rock has a powerful execution management system called roby. (Source: Malte Wirkus, DFKI GmbH)
Rock has a powerful execution management system called roby. (Source: Malte Wirkus, DFKI GmbH)
A large number of libraries that perform various processing tasks are available in the public rock repositories. (Source: Alexander Duda, DFKI GmbH)
A large number of libraries that perform various processing tasks are available in the public rock repositories. (Source: Alexander Duda, DFKI GmbH)
Vizkit is the data visualization system that provides 2D and 3D visualization support of data. (Source: Javier Hidalgo, DFKI GmbH)
Vizkit is the data visualization system that provides 2D and 3D visualization support of data. (Source: Javier Hidalgo, DFKI GmbH)
© DFKI GmbH
last updated 21.10.2019
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