Introduction to Open-RMF
General Overview
OpenRMF (Open Robot Middleware Framework) is an open-source framework that coordinates multiple robots and automation systems operating in shared environments such as hospitals and warehouses. It manages traffic, scheduling, and interoperability, allowing robots from different vendors to operate together without collisions or resource conflicts.
By centralizing coordination, OpenRMF reduces the need for manual oversight, prevents traffic jams between robots, and scales smoothly as more robots are added. This turns otherwise complex and split multi-robot deployments into a predictable, efficient, and manageable system.
We use OpenRMF through our own Web Dashboard, utilizing OpenRMF’s APIs, along with fleet managers. The dashboard provides a centralized interface for monitoring and controlling the system, while the fleet managers integrate individual robot fleets and handle communication between OpenRMF and each robot.
Web Dashboard
The OpenRMF Web Dashboard is a web-based application that enables users to authenticate, view system state, and perform authorized actions from a single centralized interface. Its purpose is to provide operators and administrators with a clear and accessible way to interact with OpenRMF services without needing direct access to backend systems. By combining information and controls into one interface, the dashboard simplifies system management.
The dashboard is designed for environments where multiple robots from one or more fleets must operate in shared spaces. In such systems, robots need to coordinate movement, tasks, and access to shared resources such as doors, lifts, and corridors. OpenRMF provides the coordination layer for these multi-robot systems, building on ROS2 to enable interoperability between heterogenous robot fleets and infrastructure systems.
In simple terms, the dashboard serves as the human-facing interface on top of OpenRMF, allowing operators to observe system state and interact with fleets without needing to work directly with low-level robotic middleware.
Fleet Manager
The Fleet Manager acts as the bridge between OpenRMF and individual robot fleets. It translates OpenRMF commands into vendor-specific instructions for each robot. It collects status updates, and reports back to the system. By doing so, it enables coordinated operation across heterogenous fleets, ensures safe navigation, and allows multiple robots to share tasks and resources efficiently within the same environemnt.
Extra Resources
To learn more about OpenRMF and ROS2 consider the following resources:
Next Steps
Get started with our Web Dashboard by following the documentation: Open-RMF Guide. It covers adding robots to fleets, setting up maps and areas, and using all dashboard features.