Roku is hoping to usher in a new era of smart devices compatible with its streaming television operating system by allowing developers to build on top of its own software.
On Thursday, Roku said its smart device operating system Roku LT OS is now open-source software, which will allow anyone building smart devices like surveillance cameras, video doorbells, remote controls, smart lights and thermostats to make their gadgets compatible with Roku’s streaming TV platform.
Roku LT OS is already used by the company for its own line of smart devices, including its voice-powered remote controls. Allowing developers to use the same software could lead to new inventory of smart remotes compatible with its streaming hardware and smart TVs, which would give streamers additional choices beyond Roku’s own remotes and at varying price points.
Roku is also hoping its decision to release Roku LT OS as open-source software will convince smart device manufacturers to make their gadgets compatible with Roku’s streaming platform, which will make Roku a stronger contender against other platforms like Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and Google’s Android TV, which are compatible with thousands of third-party smart home devices.
While Roku announced the release of Roku LT OS as open-source software on Thursday, Roku developers have known about it for several months: The company released Roku LT OS on Github in June, inviting developers to start using the platform for their devices, according to notes reviewed by The Desk.
Beyond smart devices, Roku said the smart device operating system has other real-world applications: The company is partnering with an engineering team at San Jose State University to implement Roku LT OS into race cars under a project called “LT Racing.” The software taps into a system-on-a-chip installed in the car to provide isolation and deterministic execution for vehicle controls and performance data.
Roku said the operating system is designed with a lightweight architecture that minimizes system overhead while supporting highly deterministic execution. Developers can inspect, modify and optimize the software for their specific projects.
In addition to using the software for their own applications, Roku said developers can submit optimizations through its Github repository, which could help others with their own applications built via the operating system.
Roku has a robust online training program on YouTube for developers interested in harnessing the power of Roku LT OS for their hardware and projects.
