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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cerulion.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Built for roboticists

Robot middleware that just works.

No serialization on the local hot path. No QoS micromanagement. No surprises. Just typed messages over shared memory at the latency of a function call. Try the Quickstart

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What Cerulion is

Cerulion is a Rust middleware for robotics and real-time systems. You compose your application as a graph of nodes that pass messages over zero-copy shared memory, and you build, wire, and run the whole thing through one CLI: cerulion. It gives you the latency of raw shared memory with the ergonomics of a typed, macro-driven node API, plus a simulated clock that makes runs deterministic and replayable. It’s the foundation of a modern robotics stack — built to be the faster, more deterministic successor to ROS 2.
A Cerulion graph of nodes exchanging messages over shared memory
Cerulion is in closed alpha — early access for teams who want a faster, more deterministic robotics stack ahead of the public release. Everything documented here — the CLI, node macro, and graph/schema formats — is real and verified against the current build. Access is curated today; request an invite to start building.

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Why teams use it

Zero-copy pub/sub

Nodes exchange messages over iceoryx2 shared memory. Reads and writes go straight to the payload, with no serialization on the local hot path.

Deterministic runs

Execution is driven by a simulated clock stepped in 1 ms increments, so the same graph and inputs produce the same ordering. That makes runs easy to debug and replay.

Trigger policies

Decide when each node fires (periodic, data-triggered, synchronized, or external) with per-node tick deadlines that warn loudly when missed.

Ergonomic node API

Define a node as a Rust struct with #[cerulion_node]. Field attributes declare ports; the macro rewrites self.<port> access into zero-copy shared-memory reads and writes for you.

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Start here

Installation

Set up the Rust toolchain, get the cerulion CLI, and verify it works.

Quickstart

Build and run a complete two-node graph, then watch its messages with topic echo.

Concepts

Learn the mental model: workspaces, nodes, graphs, topics, and schemas.