Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a real-time robotics control framework that implements a real-time clock with transferable ownership. One of the systems being configured to operate a real-time control loop for a robot in multiple modes include a base mode and an augmented mode, wherein when operating the robot in the base mode, the system is configured to operate a base real-time control loop in which a start of each tick of the base real-time control loop is initiated by a real-time software control module, and wherein when operating the robot in the augmented mode, the system is configured to operate multiple real-time control loops comprising the base real-time control loop and a robot real-time control loop in which a start of each tick of the real-time control loop is initiated by the real-time software drive module.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling robots. One of the methods includes receiving custom hardware configuration data for a robot, wherein the custom hardware configuration data specifies a mapping between parts and interfaces belonging to software modules that each correspond to a respective robotic hardware element of the robot, wherein each software module has one or more interfaces that represent capabilities of a robot, and wherein each part, in real-time control code defining actions of a real-time control layer, can reference interfaces of multiple software modules; allocating shared memory resources according to the mapping between parts and interfaces defined in the custom hardware configuration data; executing each software module in a separate process of a real-time control system; and executing the real-time control code that references the interfaces using parts as defined in the custom hardware configuration data.