A ROS-Based Hardware Abstraction Layer for Multifunction End-Effector Integration

This paper brings the architecture for a ROS- based Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to interface with the devices of a mechatronic end-effector. A HAL is a middleware between an application and the hardware, responsible for abstracting low-level operations for the client applications. A key feature of this approach is the scalability and modularity delivered by the ROS framework. To illustrate this, the paper presents a case study related to the modeling and integration of a critical-safety gripping function of the given robotic end-effector. This function is modelled and simulated using the timed automata formalism in UPPAAL, which is then implemented within the HAL using the proposed architecture. The system’s HAL controller is implemented and tested directly on the Toradex Verdin hardware. The results highlight how this design approach enables the early verification of critical mechatronic functions in robotic systems.