C++23 introduced std::mdspan, a multi-dimensional view type that expanded on the capabilities of its predecessors, std::span and std::string_view, by eliminating the restriction to view into contiguous blocks of memory. Multidimensional array-type data structures are commonly used in robotics applications such as RGB and depth images, as well as occupancy grids for navigation. While these alone present a compelling alternative to hand-rolled data structures, this talk will illustrate the flexibility of the layout and accessor policy customization points included in std::mdspan, demonstrating its potential through various examples, including helping a robot arm inventory beer bottles.
This talk will review conventional use cases of std::mdspan in robotics, such as occupancy grids and submaps for determining obstacles and collision checking with polygonal footprints, as well as handling camera images retrieved after deep learning inference. Additionally, we will discuss commanding single and dual robot arms for inventory inspection using synchronous and asynchronous strategies via the std::mdspan accessor policy and std::future.
While these toy examples may have speculative applications, they highlight the flexibility and extensibility of this new data structure for novel use cases.
