Why are C, C++, and LISP so prevalent in embedded devices and robots?
embedded, erlang, lisp, python, robotics
Solution
I once built a robot based on Java. It garbage collected right into a wall.
If you're going to have processes running that you can't micromanage (eg, a Linux based system) then they must know to yield to certain high priority processes like motion control. So either you do it yourself in a low level language like C, or you use an RTOS.
Problem
It seems that the software language skills most sought for embedded devices and robots are C, C++, and LISP. Why haven't more recent languages made inroads into these applications? For example, Erlang would seem particularly well-suited to robotic applications, since it makes concurrent programming easier and allows hot swapping of code. Python would seem to be useful, if for no other reason than its support of multiple programming paradigms. I'm even surprised that Java hasn't made a foray into general robotic programming. I'm sure one argument would be, "Some newer languages are interpreted, not compiled" - implying that compiled languages are quicker and use fewer computational resources. Is this still the case, in a time when we can put a Java Virtual Machine on a cell phone or a SunSpot? (and isn't LISP interpreted anyway?)