Study on the linking method between modules with different interfaces based on the information model standard

Currently, a wide range of hardware and software platforms are being utilized and developed in the field of robotics. As hardware costs continue to decline and software functionalities advance, the demand for updating or replacing hardware and software modules to enhance robot performance and reduce costs is growing. However, such replacements or updates often lead to interface incompatibilities, making it difficult to integrate new modules seamlessly. As a result, outdated components are frequently retained, leading to issues such as security vulnerabilities, inability to leverage new features, lack of compatibility with modern operating systems, and reduced product competitiveness. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel approach called the bridge method, which leverages the information models defined in ISO 22166-201 and ISO22166-202. These models support the provided and required interfaces of software modules. The proposed method uses this information to automatically generate a bridge module that connects mismatched interfaces by receiving the prototypes of both the provided and required interfaces as input. This approach enables seamless interoperability between heterogeneous software modules and between software and hardware modules, such as device drivers, without requiring modifications to the existing modules. The effectiveness of this method is validated through real-world examples, demonstrating that compatibility can be achieved efficiently through the use of automatically generated bridge programs.