ROS - The Robot Operating System

ROS (The Robot Operating System) - Flexible Framework for Robotics

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a flexible framework for writing robot software. It is a collection of tools, libraries, and conventions that aim to simplify the task of creating complex and robust robot behavior across a wide variety of robotic.

ROS was built from the ground up to encourage collaborative robotics software development. For example, one laboratory might have experts in mapping indoor environments, and could contribute a world-class system for producing maps.

Another group might have experts at using maps to navigate, and yet another group might have discovered a computer vision approach that works well for recognizing small objects in clutter. ROS was designed specifically for groups like these to collaborate and build upon each other’s work.

Features: 

Standard Robot Messages
Robot Geometry Library
Robot Description Language
Preemptable Remote Procedure Calls
Pose Estimation, Localization and Navigation
Command-Line Tools etc.

Website: http://www.ros.org/