Hard-Real-Time Embedded in Rust

The Rust programming language is experiencing rapid adoption across the software industry. In this talk, we'll explore the features that make Rust especially suitable for **hard-real-time embedded applications**. We'll see that Rust's unique approaches to memory management and asynchronous programming provide bare-metal Rust with nearly the same capabilities as a real-time operating system.

As a case study, I'll discuss the bare-metal Rust firmware for an STM32-based motor controller being developed by the Robotics and AI Institute. Our experience has been heavily influenced by Rust's approach to error handling, its package management system, and its interoperability with C and C++. We've found that Rust makes it much easier to write robust and well-architected firmware.

Rust is a relatively new language, and we'll touch on the benefits and challenges posed by its rapid pace of development. I'll summarize the major Rust embedded projects under active development, including Embassy, RTIC, Hubris, and several PACs and HALs. The talk will close with recommendations for developers considering the use of Rust in their own real-time hardware projects.