SIGs/Robotics

Fedora Robotics Special Interest Group

Mission

The Fedora Robotics SIG's main objective is to make Fedora the premier distribution for robotics development. The SIG focuses on packaging free and open source software spanning a large variety of uses. These packages vary from libraries that enable sensor communication, frameworks that provide a basis for robot programming, and educational tools for the budding roboticist. Our hope is to make Fedora fit to power (mobile) robots.

For a brief overview of some of the technologies we're working on in Fedora, please visit the Robotics page.

Members

• Tim Niemueller
• Jeff Spaleta
• Arindam Ghosh
• Hedayat Vatankhah
• Rich Mattes
• Andrzej Dubaj
• Glenn Johnson

Communication

• Mailing list: Fedora Robotics List
• Old Mailing list: Fedora Robotics List Archive
• IRC: #fedora-robotics freenode
• Meeting minutes: All - Last (2010-11-11)

Next Meeting

Next meeting: Not scheduled yet, watch the mailing list

Check the Meetings page for the next meeting's agenda.

Tasks

• Package CARMEN (timn)
  • Requires modification of buildsystem, and possibly fixing use of deprecated ImageMagick functionality (rmattes)
• Find more interesting packages and interested packagers
• Create Demos for the Robotics Spin
• Begin Packaging ROS

Packages

Package Wishlist

This is a list of packages the SIG would like to see in Fedora. It serves as a to-do list for the group, and as a forum for interested parties to add suggestions for what they'd like to see in Fedora.

• Carmen (timn, makghosh), Carnegie Mellon Robot Navigation Toolkit
• Pyrobot (makghosh), Python-based robotics simulation environment
• CMU IPC Library (rmattes), CMU's Inter-Process Communication Library (used in Carmen)
• Orca (rmattes), A component-based robotic framework
• OpenJaus (rmattes), An open BSD licensed implementation of the JAUS protocols
• Paparazzi (timn) Open-source autopilot system for model aircraft
• ROS Robot Operating System (Status)

Pending review requests

The Robotics SIG uses this Tracker Bug for package review requests and other tasks. For packages that are still under review, feel free to help test and review them for inclusion in Fedora!

Accepted packages

These are just some of packages that have been prepared and submitted by SIG members. They are all now included in Fedora's repositories.

• player - Cross-platform robot device interface and server
• rcssserver3d - RoboCup Soccer Simulation Server 3D
• rcssbase - Robocup 2D Soccer Simulation Base Library
• rcssmonitor - RoboCup 2D Soccer Simulator Monitor
• rcssserver - Robocup 2D Soccer Simulation Server
• rcsslogplayer - RoboCup Soccer Simulator LogPlayer
• MRPT - The Mobile Robot Programming Toolkit.
• libkni3 - C++ library für the Katana robot arm
• urg - Library to access Hokuyo URG laser range finders
• stage - A 2.5D multi-robot simulator
• gearbox - A collection of usable peer-reviewed robotics-related libraries
• libphidget - Drivers and API for Phidget device
• fawkes - Robot Software Framework
• openni - Library for human-machine Natural Interaction
• openni-primesense - PrimeSensor/Kinect Modules for OpenNI
• eigen3 - A lightweight C++ template library for vector and matrix math
• nbc - Simple language and compiler to program the LEGO NXT brick
• ompl - The Open Motion Planning Library
• cminpack - Solver for nonlinear equations and nonlinear least squares problems
• flann - Fast Library for Approximate Nearest Neighbors
• pcl - Library for point cloud processing
• assimp - Library to import various 3D model formats into applications
• python-vcstools - Version Control System tools for Python
• flexiport - Flexible communications library
• libfreenect - Open device driver for the Kinect
• gazebo - 3D multiple robot simulator with dynamics
• libccd - Library for collision detection between convex shapes
• python-rosinstall - ROS installation utilities
• python-rosdep - ROS System Dependency Installer
• python-rospkg - Utilities for ROS package, stack, and distribution information

Software we will not package

If you want to get involved you could start investigating the code and maybe revive the upstream project! The postponed packages could be packaged later but the have a lower priority as decided by the SIG. (Probably) Won't package:

• RobotFlow (makghosh), Mobile robotics toolkit based on FlowDesign
  • (timn): upstream looks dead for several years, probably not a good idea
  • (makghosh): +1, so it goes down the list and maybe moved out if there is no further upstream
  • (rmattes): Last commit January 2006, Dead Project?
• MARIE (makghosh), Component-based robotics framework
  • (timn): no upstream release for a long time, wiki page vandalized, had commits this year though
  • (rmattes): Last commit Jan 2008, Dead Project?
• Simbad (makghosh) Java-based 3-D robotics simulator
  • (rmattes): Last commit July 2007, Dead Project?
• Julius Speech recognition engine
  • (rmattes): Non-free: license prohibits commercial use
  • (voxadam): The license for Julius was changed starting with 4.2.2 in such a way that according to Red Hat Legal renders it "Free", but not GPL compatible.

Robotics Spin

The Fedora Robotics SIG maintains the Robotics Spin of the Fedora distribution. Questions and comments about the spin should be sent to the Robotics SIG mailing list.

ChangeLog

• 2015/05/27 rmattes: Add tracker bug, update the task and package review lists
• 2012/01/11 rmattes: Took nbc/nxt off of the tasks list, updated pending and completed reviews
• 2011/07/27 rmattes: Updated mailing list address and meeting time, moved reviewed packages to done list.
• 2011/03/23 rmattes: Updated package review lists
• 2010/11/16 Hedayat: Added SickToolbox in wishlist
• 2010/11/08 rmattes: Removed already-packaged software, moved meeting agenda to Meetings page, updated mission statement.
• 2010/11/05 Hedayat: Added ROS to the list of interesting software pending for someone to take over
• 2010/11/01 rmattes: Libphidget accepted, Fawkes under review, added preliminary agenda for next meeting
• 2010/09/20 rmattes: Added new packages under review, removed packaged software from Interesting Software list
• 2010/03/12, rmattes: Updated status of Stage and Gearbox packages
• 2010/02/11, rmattes: Added Demos page to Tasks list
• 2010/02/04, rmattes: Updated review pending and accepted packages lists, added next meeting time
• 2009/11/10, rmattes: Added some more projects to the proposed package list, removed Myro
• 2009/10/17, timn: Added meeting minutes for 2009-10-15
• 2009/10/12, timn: Scheduled next meeting, added link to Fawkes.
• 2009/10/07, rmattes: Added IPC and Myro to list of interesting packages.
• 2009/07/11, jlblanco: Added mrpt to list of robotics packages already accepted in Fedora.
• 2008/10/04, Hedayat: Updating packages' status (rcssserver and rcsslogplayer)
• 2008/09/12, Hedayat: Updating packages' status (as I know!)
• 2008/06/18, timn: Third meeting, more packages up for review
• 2008/05/22, timn: Second meeting. Decided that we focus on Player/Stage/Gazebo to get a demo up and running to attract more people, see for details
• 2008/05/16, Hedayat: Added myself to the page and picked up Robocup Soccer Server packaging, added mailing list link
• 2008/05/07, timn: First IRC meeting, player/stage/gazebo will be the first package project, see for log
• 2008/05/03, timn: After discussion with JefSpaleta found the Fedora Robotics SIG.