What architectural concept is highlighted as the software breakthrough for scaling robotics?

Layered control architecture.

The shift toward managing complex, large-scale robotics deployments is characterized not by a single program, but by the invention of a layered control architecture. This layered approach allows different levels of the system to handle specialized functions, moving beyond simple command execution. For instance, one layer might handle the high-level business rules (WMS), another the real-time scheduling (WES), and yet another the direct motor control. This structure is essential when deploying hundreds of robots because it separates the overarching coordination logic—the centralized software orchestrating the entire fleet—from the individual hardware actions, making the system manageable and scalable across diverse physical mechanisms.