NASA Open Sources Robotics Framework

Ever wish your bot could run the same software as a Mars Rover? Well, now it can. NASA has just released a selection of the software libraries that drive the Mars Rover and many of NASA's other robots. From the press release:

Primary functionality in these modules includes math infrastructure, rotation matrices with Euler angles, quaternions, and coordinate transformations (interoperable homogeneous and quaternion transforms). It also includes the coordinate frame infrastructure that connect transformations and mechanisms with moving parts. Additionally, you will find mechanism models for wheeled, legged and hybrid vehicles. Other modules include device and device group infrastructure with support for generic digital and analog I/O, cameras, and motors. Several modules in this release provide vision infrastructure for images, color images, camera models, 3D point cloud, and surface normal image representations.

I don't even know what most of that means, but I bet many of you do. This first release contains about 30% of the code that will eventually be released. Get more information at the CLARAty Homepage. (Via)