An Orocos component is built upon the Real-Time Toolkit (RTT) library. It allows you to build components which are accessible over a network, configurable using XML files and listen to a scripting interface, which allows components to be controlled using text commands. A component which accesses IO devices can use the Orocos Device Interface as well which defines how to interact with analog and digital IO and encoders. Of course, components can make use of external, non-Orocos libraries as well.

The Orocos logo resembles the letter 'O' which stands for 'Open'. It is formed by two robotic grippers which reach to each other, symbolising collaboration.

Skeleton of a serial robot arm with six revolute joints. This is one example of a kinematic structure, reducing the motion modelling and specification to a geometric problem of relative motion of reference frames.

The Real-Time Toolkit allows deployment, distribution and
the building of real-time software components. It is
sometimes refered to as 'middleware' because it sits
between the application and the Operating System.
It takes care of the real-time communication and execution of
software components.