Make capable, autonomous robotics accessible to anyone who can write a simple YAML file.
Robotics has an accessibility gap. Professional platforms demand fluency in ROS2 and thousands of dollars. Hobby kits top out at line-following. Between these extremes, there is nothing that is affordable, capable, and approachable.
Defined Robotics bridges this gap.
Robot (RDF) + Behaviors (Verbs) + World (YAML)
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defined compile + run
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Autonomous robot doing real tasks
Three inputs, one command:
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Robot Description Framework (RDF) -- Describe your robot by what it can do (navigate, capture images, detect objects), not by joint chains or coordinate frames. Capabilities are verified at compile time -- if the hardware can't do it, the task won't compile.
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Verb Language -- Write tasks in declarative YAML.
go_to: kitchen, not ROS2 launch files. The platform handles execution, error recovery, and hardware abstraction. -
World Model -- Name your places, define your environment. The robot resolves
$world.pois.kitchento coordinates. You never type numbers in a task file.
git clone https://github.com/Defined-Robotics/botcrate.git
cd botcrate
# Edit tasks/patrol.task.yaml -- your first robot mission
defined compile && defined run| Repo | What it does |
|---|---|
| botcrate | Starter repo -- clone, edit YAML, run. Your first robot in 5 minutes. |
| rdf | Robot Description Framework -- capability-first robot descriptions |
| verb-compiler | YAML task definitions to BehaviorTree.CPP XML compiler |
| defined-cli | CLI + TUI -- compile, deploy, and monitor robot missions |
| defined-platform | ROS2 runtime packages -- navigation, SLAM, behavior tree execution |
- Modularity First -- Every component is independently replaceable. Swap hardware without reflashing software. Add verbs without touching the compiler.
- Honest Abstraction -- Never promise capabilities the hardware can't deliver. If a sensor is missing, the task is rejected at compile time, not at runtime.
- Open by Default -- All software is open source. All hardware designs are published. Revenue comes from reference hardware, not restrictive licenses.
- Capability-First, Not Middleware-First -- Users think in tasks and capabilities (
go_to: kitchen), not in topics or launch files. ROS2 powers the runtime -- users focus on what the robot should do, not how the middleware works. - Simulation Proven -- Every feature is validated in simulation (Gazebo) before running on physical hardware.
- Makers hitting the Arduino ceiling who want real autonomous behavior
- Educators teaching robotics beyond intro-level courses
- Developers prototyping robot applications without building from scratch
Developer preview. The platform compiles and runs tasks end-to-end in simulation.
All software in this organization is open source. See individual repositories for license details.