The JAUS Software Development Kit (SDK) from Kairos Autonomi, a Salt Lake City-based wholly owned subsidiary of DesignJug, enables unique unmanned and robotic systems to communicate and operate with each other independent of design.

The JAUS SDK provides a common conceptualized view of all robotics regardless of each robot’s hardware or software. With this software, two unique robots are able to share messaging schemes and information for optimal interoperability.

Using shared memory architectures, JAUS SDK utilizes a single DLL structure to achieve up to Level I compliance. Other components include functional, stand-alone, file defined JAUS Nodes, a Builder that generates complete JAUS system architectures and an Interrogator that functions independent of the “a priori” limitation.

Applications range from creating a JAUS system with zero user-written software using existing executables, to creating stand-alone JAUS components with a software pipe interface, to utilizing an existing system with shared variables as the only interface, all the way to constructing a full system from the ground up.

The DLL has all JAUS message and component classes, as well as many helper classes. JAUS components can be instantiated with as little as one line of code. The Builder provides a hierarchal approach to JAUS system creation and then generates a human-readable text file that defines the entire system. The Node program can then read this file to create the user-defined JAUS system. Diagnostic tools speed verification of system functionality.

The tools and DLL are designed for usage on Windows platforms — from 9x through Vista — using Visual Studio 6 or 2005.

“The Kairos JAUS SDK is the first step in meeting the Department of Defense mandate of unmanned system interoperability,” said George A. “Troy” Takach, Jr., president and CEO of Kairos Autonomi. “The JAUS SDK software offers a smooth avenue for JAUS compliance.”

The company also has released the Pronto4 Universal Retrofit Kit, which enables remotely piloted, remotely guided and autonomous travel with any steering-wheel based vehicle or vessel.