BOW on The Robot Report: solving robotics’ interoperability roadblock
BOW on The Robot Report: solving robotics’ interoperability roadblock
BOW CEO Nick Thompson and CTO & founder Daniel Camilleri recently joined The Robot Report podcast with hosts Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre to talk about BOW’s origin story and the future of the robotics industry at large.
While working as a robotics researcher at the University of Sheffield, Daniel hit a common roadblock – one that is holding back the widespread adoption and deployment of robots. When Daniel needed to switch to a new model of robot, it quickly became clear that this simple change would require a complete rewrite of the software application code he had developed. And as he was working out an elegant and repeatable way to solve this interoperability obstacle, the idea for BOW was born: a universal programming platform that works across the robot, operating system, and programming language of your choice.
The robotics industry is at a crossroads. While advancements in hardware – from dexterous humanoids to rugged quadrupeds – have enabled the industry to progress in leaps and bounds, software development for robot applications remains an obstacle course. With programming still fragmented, costly, and inaccessible to many, the gap between hardware potential and software scalability is starting to drag on the progress of robotics.
The root challenge – as Daniel first discovered during his research in Sheffield – is that robotics is still dominated by proprietary ecosystems, specialised knowledge, and siloed tools that lock developers into rigid workflows. For innovation to thrive, robotics must be democratised through hardware-agnostic software.
The Fragmentation Problem
Robotics today resembles the early days of computing, where applications were tightly coupled to specific hardware. Each robot manufacturer operates within its own ecosystem, requiring developers to learn unique APIs, communication protocols, and operating systems.
As Daniel shared on the podcast, switching to a new robot in this kind of ecosystem means having to rewrite almost everything from a code standpoint. If the automobile manufacturers of the early 20th Century had had to reinvent the wheel every time they wanted to make a new car, the growth of the industry wouldn’t have been quite so stratospheric.
There are three critical barriers caused by this fragmentation in robotics:
- High Costs: Physical robots are expensive, limiting access to well-funded organisations
- Skill Gaps: Developers must master low-level hardware intricacies before tackling meaningful innovation
- Scalability Issues: Code written for one robot rarely works on another, stifling reuse and collaboration
Even widely adopted frameworks like ROS (Robot Operating System), while beneficial in some ways, are falling short of full robotics democratisation. While ROS unifies sensor and motor communication, its reliance on Linux, inconsistent data structures, and hardware-specific configurations still tie developers to individual robots.
The Case for Hardware Agnosticism
The solution lies in decoupling software from hardware – a concept that transformed computing and mobile technology. Just as Android enabled apps to run across devices, robotics needs a universal layer that abstracts hardware complexities. As Nick and Daniel explained, this is where platforms like BOW come in.
BOW’s SDK acts as a translation layer between developers and robots. By standardising how robots are described and controlled, it allows developers to write code once and deploy it across any supported robot. Whether programming a quadruped to navigate rough terrain or a co-bot to assemble parts, the same logic applies.
This approach unlocks three transformative benefits:
- Lowering Entry Barriers: Developers no longer need deep robotics expertise or costly hardware to start building
- Accelerating Iteration: By abstracting hardware, developers focus on algorithms and user-centric features rather than reinventing drivers
- Futureproofing: Applications built today can seamlessly integrate with next-generation robots, protecting investments as hardware evolves
The Real-World Impact of Democratising Robotics
By supporting multiple programming languages (Python, Java, C++) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, Android), BOW invites a broader community – web developers, mobile app engineers, and AI researchers – to contribute. For example, a developer skilled in reinforcement learning can train models to control robots without wrestling with inverse kinematics or motor drivers.
The implications extend far beyond simplified coding. BOW’s platform powers robotics for film and television production at Production Park in Pontefract, where smash hits like Netflix’s Adolescence were filmed. This ongoing partnership aims to showcase how accessible robotics can transform creative industries and the way stories are told to the wider world. In industrial settings, manufacturers use BOW to unify control of diverse robots – arms, rovers, and humanoids – on a single platform, streamlining automation.
Looking ahead, hardware-agnostic software will be critical for advancing AI in robotics. Training models to perform complex tasks (e.g. “clean this room”) requires generalisable frameworks. By providing a standardised interface, BOW allows AI systems to focus on high-level decision-making rather than hardware-specific adjustments, accelerating the path to truly autonomous robots.
The Future of Robotics
The robotics industry’s future hinges on inclusivity. As nimble quadrupeds and sophisticated humanoids proliferate, software must keep pace with the thousands of manufacturers out there by prioritising flexibility and accessibility. Hardware-agnostic platforms can be catalysts for a cultural shift, inviting developers worldwide to participate in shaping the next era of automation.
The question is no longer if robotics will transform industries, but how quickly we can empower the global community to lead that transformation, humanely.
Learn more about how BOW’s platform is revolutionising robotics.