For your information.

This seems to be one of those incredibly stupid patents, with tons of prior
art, but nevertheless...

Abstract
Methods and apparatus that provide a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for a
robot are disclosed. A HAL can reside as a software layer or as a firmware
layer residing between robot control software and underlying robot hardware
and/or an operating system for the hardware. The HAL provides a relatively
uniform abstract for aggregates of underlying hardware such that the
underlying robotic hardware is transparent to perception and control
software, i.e., robot control software. This advantageously permits robot
control software to be written in a robot-independent manner. Developers of
robot control software are then freed from tedious lower level tasks.
Portability is another advantage. For example, the HAL efficiently permits
robot control software developed for one robot to be ported to another. In
one example, the HAL permits the same navigation algorithm to be ported
from a wheeled robot and used on a humanoid legged robot.

Herman