Performance Comparison of ROS2 Middlewares for Multi-robot Mesh Networks in Planetary Exploration

Abstract Recent advancements in Multi-Robot Systems (MRS) and mesh network technologies pave the way for innovative approaches to explore extreme environments. The Artemis Accords, a series of international agreements, have further catalyzed this progress by fostering cooperation in space exploration, emphasizing the use of cutting-edge technologies. In parallel, companies across various sectors’ widespread adoption of the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) underscores its robustness and versatility. This paper evaluates the performances of available ROS 2 MiddleWare (RMW), such as FastRTPS, CycloneDDS and Zenoh, over a mesh network with a dynamic topology. The final choice of RMW is determined by the one that would most fit the scenario: an exploration of the extreme extra-terrestrial environment using a Multi-Robot Systems (MRS). The conducted study in a real environment highlights Zenoh as a potential solution for future applications, showing a reduced delay, reachability, data overhead and CPU usage while being competitive on the RAM usage over a dynamic mesh topology.