AuthROS: Secure Data Sharing Among Robot Operating Systems Based on Ethereum

Abstract

The Robot Operating System (ROS) streamlines human processes, increasing the efficiency of various production tasks. However, the security of data transfer operations in ROS is still in its immaturity. Securing data exchange between several robots is a significant problem. This paper proposes \textit{AuthROS}, an Ethereum blockchain-based secure data sharing method, for robot communication. It is a ROS node authorization system capable of ensuring the immutability and security of private data flow between ROS nodes of any size. To ensure data security, AuthROS employs the smart contract for permission granting and identification, SM2-based key exchange, and SM4-based plaintext encryption techniques. In addition, we deploy a data digest upload technique to optimize data query and upload performance. Finally, the experimental findings reveal that AuthROS has strong security, time performance, and node forging in cases where data should be recorded and robots need to remain immobile.