Jvex-robotics interfaces Java single board computers to the VEX Robotics Robotics Design System Kit. The goal is to free the Java host from low-level device management by delegating these tasks to the VEX Controller that comes with the kit. The result is that a Java host can easily manage real-time VEX devices over a serial protocol.
The VEX controller directly manages sensor and motor hardware. Given a decent 'C' compiler, the pair of PIC microprocessors is well suited for offloading low-level, real-time device control from the Java host.
The serial protocol incorporates I/O Point Tagging which provides a means for peripherals to characterize themselves via XML descriptors to the host.