engineering

RT middleware

RT middleware is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand RT middleware rather than just read about it. In short: RT-middleware (Robotics Technology Middleware) is a common computing platform technical standard for robots based on distributed object technology. RT-middleware supports the construction of various networked robotic systems by integrating various network-enabled robotic elements named RT-Components, which specification standard is discussed and defined by the Object Management Group (OMG).

Key takeaways

RT middleware belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect RT middleware to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of RT middleware from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

RT-middleware (Robotics Technology Middleware) is a common computing platform technical standard for robots based on distributed object technology. RT-middleware supports the construction of various networked robotic systems by integrating various network-enabled robotic elements named RT-Components, which specification standard is discussed and defined by the Object Management Group (OMG).

Properties In the RT-middleware, robotics elements, such as actuators, are regarded as RT-components, and the whole robotic system is constructed by connecting such components. This distributed architecture helps developers reuse the robotic elements and boosts the reliability of a system. Each RT-component has a port as an endpoint for communicating to other RT-components. Every port has its type and the ports which have the same type can be connected each other. RT-components also have state, so they behave as finite-state machines. The states they can have are: CREATED, INACTIVE, ACTIVE, and ERROR. States and behaviors are controlled by the execution-context. If component behavior must be changed, the execution-context can be replaced at runtime.

Implementations RT-middleware is only a standard of the Robotics platform software. Implementations include:

OpenRTM-aist is based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) platform developed by National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Using CORBA properties, OpenRTM-aist is available for environments with multiple platforms and programming languages. OpenRTM.NET is for the .NET Framework. RTM on Android is being implemented on Android (operating system). RTC Lite is a future modified RT-middleware for embedded or small-resource systems. RTM Safety to pass the IEC 61508 standard.

Related projects Robot Operating System (ROS) – C++ software framework developed by Willow Garage. Open Robot Control Software (Orocos) – C++ software framework for component-based robot control software OPRoS developed by Korea Association of Robot Industry (KAR)

See also Robot Open-source robotics List of robotics software Middleware New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Object Management Group Japan Robot Association

References

External links RT-middleware Project (Japanese) OpenRTM-aist OpenRT Platform VirCA - Virtual Collaboration Arena framework powered by RT-Middleware

Illustrations

Logo mark; Japan Robot Association

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with RT middleware

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what RT middleware claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to RT middleware before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about RT middleware ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of RT middleware

In research: RT middleware appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses RT middleware in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: RT middleware is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Robotics software, Robotics suites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for RT middleware outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study RT middleware in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what RT middleware means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain RT middleware out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is RT middleware in simple terms?

Why does RT middleware matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study RT middleware?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on RT middleware.