Tech

Software Development with MapuSoft’s Application Common Operating Environment

Published

2 years ago

December 7, 2023

In the fast-paced world of software development, the need for interoperability, cross-platform capabilities, and adaptability is more critical than ever. MapuSoft Technologies addresses these challenges with its Application Common Operating Environment (AppCOE™), a robust framework designed to promote code interoperability and cross-platform capabilities among systems and devices. Built on the powerful open-source Eclipse-based framework, AppCOE™ integrates seamlessly with all of MapuSoft’s tools, offering a comprehensive solution for developing and deploying applications across diverse environments.

Code Interoperability and Cross-OS Platform Capabilities

At the core of AppCOE™ is the concept of developing a common architecture that facilitates code interoperability and cross-OS platform capabilities. This framework enables developers to standardize C/C++ and Ada applications, allowing them to interoperate and run seamlessly on a single platform. The flexibility offered by AppCOE™ ensures that embedded software applications can be developed, tested, and deployed without the constraints of a specific operating system, promoting efficiency and adaptability.

Automated Software Porting to a New OS Platform

One of the standout features of MapuSoft’s offering is its Automated Software Porting to a New OS Platform, a capability essential for today’s dynamic software environment. This tool, known as OS Changer®, provides C/C++ source-level virtualization technology that facilitates the effortless reuse of software on a new operating system and hardware. By eliminating manual porting efforts, OS Changer® not only saves time and money but also accelerates time-to-market for software applications.

Develop Code Once to Deploy on Multiple Platforms

AppCOE™ embraces the philosophy of writing code once and deploying it on multiple platforms. The Cross-OS Development Platform, an integral part of AppCOE™, protects software investments by freeing code from the constraints of the current OS and hardware platform. This capability significantly reduces future porting issues, allowing software to be easily migrated to new operating systems. The result is an easily portable code that increases its lifespan and value, mitigating risks associated with OS selection.

Preventing Software Lock-In

The fear of software lock-in is a common concern for developers. MapuSoft addresses this by introducing OS Abstractor, a commercial-grade abstraction layer that ensures better performance at a lower cost than in-house solutions. OS Abstractor creates a clear separation between application code and the underlying OS, freeing the code and minimizing future upgrading costs. This not only enhances adaptability but also protects software investments in the long run.

Automated Conversion of Programming Languages

MapuSoft’s Automated Code-Changer is a powerful tool that supports the automated conversion of over 30 software languages into more modern programming languages. This model-based automation significantly increases efficiency and accuracy while reducing costs, errors, and risks. The tool also provides the capability to create automated documentation for either the old or new code, offering a comprehensive solution for language modernization.

Ada-C/C++ Changer: A Reliable Conversion Tool

Ada-C/C++ Changer is another impressive offering from MapuSoft, providing automated conversion of Ada code to C/C++ or Java along with documentation and performance improvements. Developed and tuned by experienced scientists with over 40 years of modernization expertise, Ada-C/C++ Changer not only modernizes the code but also enhances its overall quality.

Simulating Embedded Applications

MapuSoft’s OS Simulator is a game-changer for developers, eliminating the need for the original OS and expensive target hardware during development. This tool allows developers to simulate embedded applications on Windows and Linux host PCs, reducing licensing costs, hardware requirements, and time to market. OS Simulator supports up to eight of the most popular OS platforms, offering flexibility and convenience in the development process.

Making Software Independent of OS Upgrades

OS Version UpKit™ is a solution designed to make software independent of OS upgrades, providing freedom from disturbances caused by manual porting efforts. This tool enables applications to easily upgrade to a newer version of the OS, saving significant time and money while preventing ongoing projects from getting stuck.

Empowering Academic Institutions

MapuSoft’s commitment to education is evident in its offerings like RTOS Simulator, providing academic institutions with a cost-effective solution to expose students to real-world embedded software development. This one-stop solution makes popular RTOS platforms available on standard Windows/Linux personal computers, offering students hands-on experience and improving their marketability in various industries.

MapuSoft Technologies stands out with its comprehensive suite of tools and frameworks under the Application Common Operating Environment umbrella. AppCOE™, along with tools like OS Changer®, OS Abstractor, and Automated Code-Changer, empowers developers to create robust, interoperable, and adaptable software solutions. Whether it’s preventing software lock-in, automated language conversion, or simulating embedded applications, MapuSoft’s offerings cater to the evolving needs of the software development landscape, providing efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and future-proofing for applications across industries.

Tech

AI in Placemaking: How ERA-co is Using Smarter Data to Build Better Cities

Published

4 weeks ago

September 23, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

ERA-co is exploring new ways to apply AI in urban design, utilizing data-driven tools to support more thoughtful and responsive placemaking. Rather than replacing human insight, the firm sees artificial intelligence as a partner — one that can enhance how designers understand and shape the spaces where people live, move, and connect.

This approach isn’t about flashy tech or fully automated cities. It’s about asking better questions, revealing patterns we might otherwise miss, and using that knowledge to make decisions rooted in real-world behavior. For ERA-co, AI becomes most valuable when it helps clarify how a city works, layer by layer, so design teams can create places that are not only efficient but also livable and meaningful.

Understanding complexity before optimization

Before talking about smart tools or predictions, ERA-co begins with a foundational question: “What kind of problem is a city?” Nicolas Palominos, Head of Urban Design and Strategy R&D at ERA-co, references the work of Jane Jacobs to frame this.

“As Jacobs reminds us, cities exhibit complex system behavior, where multiple elements vary simultaneously, in subtle interconnected ways,” Palominos explains. “AI can augment our understanding of these parameters to design better places with optimized social benefit.”

According to Palominos, that kind of social benefit can take many forms. It might involve modeling a housing system that supports proximity-based living, such as the concept of the “15-minute city,” or applying predictive analytics to anticipate and respond to events like floods, heatwaves, or infrastructure failures.

ERA-co doesn’t use AI to chase efficiency for its own sake. Instead, the firm uses it to gain a more comprehensive understanding and a clearer picture of a place’s behavior.

Data that matches people, not just places

Not all data is created equal. When it comes to placemaking, ERA-co prioritizes what Palominos calls “spatial and temporal granularity,” which entails not only examining how a space functions on a map but also understanding how people interact with it over time — from hour to hour, and season to season.

“The most valuable data are those with the greatest spatial and temporal granularity for observing people and urban environments,” Palominos says. “Video footage, mobile data, street view imagery, and satellite imagery enable a deeper understanding of how different groups of people perceive and use public space.”

One recent ERA-co proof-of-concept used AI to assess how people visually perceive streetscapes, analyzing elements like enclosure, complexity, and human scale. These insights informed more nuanced design strategies that align with local behaviors, not just abstract zoning plans.

This level of detail matters because even small design shifts can have ripple effects on how people move, feel, and gather. With AI, ERA-co isn’t just tracking patterns but learning from them.

ERA-co’s AI mobility work: Subtle shifts, broader benefits

Some of the clearest applications of AI can be seen in mobility — how people and goods move through cities. It’s here that ERA-co sees measurable gains in both function and experience.

“AI-driven fleet optimization balances supply and demand in bus services and bike-share systems,” Palominos says. “On the consumer side, it streamlines courier and delivery services through route optimization.”

These systems don’t operate in isolation. When they’re better coordinated, they can relieve pressure on road networks, reduce congestion, and lower energy use. But what makes ERA-co’s approach different is that it doesn’t stop at logistics. It examines how those systems impact the daily lives of people who live in and move through a place.

The limits of AI and the role of design judgment

As much as AI can help us see more, ERA-co is careful not to let it make the final call. Cities are more than just systems — they’re layered with memory, identity, and human connection. And not everything meaningful can be measured.

“There have been cases where AI insights pointed us in one direction, but human judgment and cultural understanding led us another way,” Palominos notes.

Sometimes a place functions well on paper, but feels hollow in practice. Other times, a community gathering space might disrupt traffic flow, yet provide invaluable support for social well-being.

This is where design intuition becomes critical. ERA-co uses AI to inform, not dictate, the design process.

Planning for a future in flux

Looking ahead, ERA-co sees AI playing a growing role in helping cities adapt — not just to top physical threats like climate change, but also to slower, less visible shifts in how people live and connect.

“AI will amplify our understanding of how cities function through enhanced spatial representation and analysis, informing better human decision-making,” Palominos says. He references recent findings (like an MIT study showing people walk faster and linger less in public spaces) as examples of trends that would have been hard to anticipate without AI.

Still, the goal isn’t to automate responses to those behaviors. It’s using those insights to reimagine what kinds of public spaces people may need in the future, especially as patterns of connection and isolation shift.