AUTHOR=Schöpping Thomas , Kenneweg Svenja , Hesse Marc , Rückert Ulrich 

TITLE=µRT: A lightweight real-time middleware with integrated validation of timing constraints

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Robotics and AI

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2023.1081875

DOI=10.3389/frobt.2023.1081875

ISSN=2296-9144

ABSTRACT=Middlewares are standard tools for modern software development in many areas, especially in robotics. While such have become common for high-level applications, there is only little support for real-time systems and low-level control. μRT therefore provides a light-weight solution to be used on resource constraint embedded systems, such as microcontrollers. It features publish-subscribe communication as well as remote procedure calls and is capable of validating timing constraints at runtime. In contrast to other middlewares, μRT does not rely on specific transports for communication, but can be used with any technology. Empirical results prove the small memory footprint, consistent temporal behavior, and predominantly linear scaling. Usability of μRT was also found to be competitive with state-of-the-art solutions by means of a study.