ROS

ROS (Robot Operating System) is the open-source software framework providing libraries and tools for building complex, modular robotic applications.

ROS is not a traditional operating system, but an open-source meta-OS (or framework) that streamlines robot software development. It provides essential OS-like services: hardware abstraction, low-level device control, and robust inter-process communication (IPC) via concepts like Nodes and Topics. The core mission is enabling code reuse across different robotic platforms, offering over 2,000 specialized packages for functions like navigation and perception. Developers leverage its C++ and Python APIs to create distributed systems, with the newer ROS 2 architecture (e.g., Jazzy Jalisco) specifically addressing real-time and embedded system requirements.

https://www.ros.org/