Why Rust for Embedded Systems? (and Why I'm Teaching Robotics with It)
3 days ago
- #Rust
- #Memory Safety
- #Embedded Development
- Rust has transitioned from being admired to a core workhorse language, with significant adoption in the Linux kernel, Android OS, and embedded systems via Espressif's stable Rust SDK.
- Memory corruption vulnerabilities in embedded systems, especially in C/C++, account for 54.2% of RTOS vulnerabilities over the last decade, pushing the industry towards memory-safe languages like Rust for new development.
- Rust enhances embedded development safety through features like default immutability, mandatory initialization, and strict error handling, catching bugs early in the development cycle.
- Adopting Rust faces challenges like a steep learning curve and rapidly evolving ecosystem, with outdated documentation and examples complicating the learning process.
- RAVVEN is introduced as a structured, hands-on course to teach embedded Rust development through building an autonomous robot, aiming to bridge the skills gap with up-to-date documentation and a comprehensive curriculum.