Nvidia and Qualcomm Collaborate with Open Source Robotics Alliance to Advance ROS Development

The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) has announced the formation of the Open Source Robotics Alliance (OSRA). This initiative is aimed at fostering the development and maintenance of open-source robotics projects, with a strong emphasis on the OSRF's own Robot Operating System (ROS). Established in 2007 by Willow Garage, a former Bay Area incubator, ROS has been instrumental in advancing robotics technology for years. Notably, tech giants Nvidia and Qualcomm have joined as "Platinum" members of the OSRA, alongside Alphabet's X spinout, Intrinsic.

“Nvidia employs ROS 2 to integrate accelerated computing and artificial intelligence into the hands of developers, researchers, and commercial enterprises,” stated Nvidia VP Gordon Grigor in a recent announcement. “As a founding platinum member of OSRA, we are committed to enhancing open-source robotics across the ecosystem by driving development efforts and ensuring governance and continuity.”

Intrinsic CEO Wendy Tan White added, “Our team at Intrinsic has made significant contributions to projects like ROS, Gazebo, and Open-RMF within the Open Robotics community. After acquiring the Open Source Robotics Corporation (OSRC) at the end of 2022, we are proud to further our investment in the open-source ecosystem as an inaugural OSRA member.” Former Open Robotics CEO Brian Gerkey, now serving as Intrinsic’s CTO, has been appointed to the OSRA board.

Regarding its structure, the OSRF describes OSRA as operating on “a mixed membership and meritocratic model,” similar to the dynamics of prominent open-source alliances like the Linux Foundation. Membership levels dictate the degree of influence and participation, with fees varying based on the number of members in an organization.

In addition to overseeing ROS, the OSRA will manage Open Robotics’ Gazebo simulator and Open-RMF, a framework aimed at enhancing robotic system interoperability across different companies. The involvement of major players like Nvidia and Qualcomm is expected to strengthen these standards, particularly through their development of reference design robots, which are foundational for various manufacturers.

Other members of the OSRA include Clearpath Robotics and PickNik Robotics, while Silicon Valley Robotics stands as an associate member. Canonical, the developer behind Ubuntu, is contributing in a supportive capacity.