# Robotics Software Engineering: A Perspective from the Service Robotics Domain

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.10608 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.10608/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 18 Jun 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Mind the Gap! A Study on the Transferability of Virtual vs Physical-world Testing of Autonomous Driving Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.11255/) (2021)
- [Two is Better Than One: Digital Siblings to Improve Autonomous Driving Testing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.08060/) (2023)
- [AEROS: A Single-Agent Operating Architecture with Embodied Capability Modules](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.07039/) (2026)
- [Simulator Ensembles for Trustworthy Autonomous Driving Systems Testing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.08936/) (2025)
- [A Multi-Modality Evaluation of the Reality Gap in Autonomous Driving Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.22379/) (2025)
- [Cloud Native Robotic Applications with GPU Sharing on Kubernetes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03936/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Robots that support humans by performing useful tasks (a.k.a., service robots) are booming worldwide. In contrast to industrial robots, the development of service robots comes with severe software engineering challenges, since they require high levels of robustness and autonomy to operate in highly heterogeneous environments. As a domain with critical safety implications, service robotics faces a need for sound software development practices. In this paper, we present the first large-scale empirical study to assess the state of the art and practice of robotics software engineering. We conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with industrial practitioners working in 15 companies from 9 different countries and a survey with 156 respondents (from 26 countries) from the robotics domain. Our results provide a comprehensive picture of (i) the practices applied by robotics industrial and academic practitioners, including processes, paradigms, languages, tools, frameworks, and reuse practices, (ii) the distinguishing characteristics of robotics software engineering, and (iii) recurrent challenges usually faced, together with adopted solutions. The paper concludes by discussing observations, derived hypotheses, and proposed actions for researchers and practitioners.