Foundation Formation · Q3–Q4 2026 Target

Open governance for
open robotics infrastructure

The RCAN protocol and the Robot Registry are public goods. Two independent foundations will steward them — ensuring no single company controls the standard.

RCAN Foundation

Formation target: Q3 2026

The RCAN Foundation is a planned 501(c)(3) non-profit responsible for maintaining the open RCAN specification, running certification programs, and ensuring interoperability across the robot ecosystem.

Mission
Maintain the open RCAN specification, administer the conformance certification program, and facilitate cross-vendor interoperability.
Structure
501(c)(3) non-profit. 7-seat board of directors.
Board composition
2 industry seats · 1 compliance/legal · 1 regulatory · 1 open-source community · 1 academic/research · 1 independent.
Formation target
Q3 2026. Board seat recruitment is active — academic and IEEE contacts welcome.

Robot Registry Foundation

Formation target: Q4 2026

A separate 501(c)(3) non-profit will govern the global Robot Registry Number (RRN) namespace. This separation ensures that identity infrastructure for all robots remains independent from protocol governance.

Mission
Maintain the global RRN namespace, public lookup API, transfer protocols, and dispute resolution procedures.
Structure
Separate 501(c)(3) non-profit from the RCAN Foundation, with its own board and bylaws.
Responsibilities
RRN issuance · namespace integrity · public API uptime · transfer protocol standards · registration tier governance.
Formation target
Q4 2026, following the RCAN Foundation establishment.

OpenCastor's relationship

OpenCastor Inc. (a California Benefit Corporation) is a founding sponsor of both foundations. Commercial success funds the open ecosystem — but governance remains independent.

Revenue commitment
5%
of OpenCastor revenue
→ RCAN Foundation
5%
of OpenCastor revenue
→ Robot Registry Foundation
10%
total committed
to open infrastructure

Independence guarantee: OpenCastor holds no blocking board votes in either foundation after formation. Founding sponsor status grants advisory participation only. The spec and registry remain community property.

Certification Program

The RCAN-Certified program provides hardware partners and software implementers a formal path to demonstrate protocol compliance.

📋
Spec compliance
Devices must implement the RCAN protocol release listed on the live compatibility matrix at /compatibility. Full §1–§21 conformance is required.
🛡️
P66 safety tests
Must pass the full RCAN P66 safety preemption test suite. No exceptions for hardware-constrained devices.
📄
Conformance report
Applicants must publish a signed conformance report generated by the RCAN test harness.
🏷️
Certification badge
Approved devices receive the RCAN-Certified badge for use in datasheets, packaging, and marketing materials.

Certification is administered by the RCAN Foundation once formed. Until Q3 2026, OpenCastor runs a pre-certification self-assessment program. Contact cert@opencastor.ai for details.

How to get involved

Both foundations are in formation. Board seats are being recruited now — academic institutions, IEEE working groups, and compliance experts are especially welcome.

continuonai on GitHub

Contribute to the spec, open issues, and review proposals in the continuonai org.
Board seat inquiry

Academic, IEEE, and compliance professionals: contact foundation@opencastor.ai with your affiliation and area of expertise.

Read the Spec → Conformance Levels About RCAN