Continuous Integration and DevOps in Robotics

Motivation

The increasing complexity of robotics software demands robust engineering practices to ensure reliability and maintainability. At the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS), we recognise the critical need to bridge modern software engineering methodologies with robotics development. This project focuses on implementing advanced Dev Ops practices specifically tailored for robotics software, addressing the unique challenges in this domain. By developing comprehensive continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, containerisation strategies, and automated testing frameworks, we aim to streamline the robotics software lifecycle.

This research will significantly improve the reliability and reproducibility of robotics software deployments, reducing development time and enhancing system stability. Your contribution will help establish best practices for the robotics community, potentially transforming how autonomous systems are developed, tested, and deployed in research and industry settings.

• Strong background in software engineering and continuous integration
• Experience with Git Hub Actions and Git Ops workflows
• Knowledge of containerisation technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Excellent documentation and communication abilities
• Familiarity with version control systems and collaborative development
• Enthusiasm for learning and problem-solving
• Strong attention to detail and system architecture

This project offers an exceptional opportunity to develop expertise at the intersection of modern Dev Ops practices and robotics software development. Students will gain hands-on experience implementing robust CI/CD pipelines for complex robotics frameworks. You'll develop advanced skills in containerisation strategies specifically designed for robotics applications, automated testing methodologies for robot software components, and Git Ops approaches to robotic system deployment.

Working with state-of-the year tools and frameworks will provide valuable experience applicable to both research and industry environments. The project will enhance your understanding of software engineering best practices in the context of robotics, preparing you for careers in robotics software development, Dev Ops engineering, system architecture, and related fields where reliability and reproducibility are paramount.

This is a project suitable as a final year project for any Lincoln students studying Computer Science or Robotics, or as an internship position in robotics. If you are a Lincoln student wishing to pursue this project as part of your studies, please refer to your respective project module's procedure on project selection and allocation.