# Robonomics 5.0: a runtime-only repo on polkadot-omni-node, and a resource model for cyber-physical systems **URL:** \ **Category:** Tech Talk\ **Created:** [September 21, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/robonomics-5-0-a-runtime-only-repo-on-polkadot-omni-node-and-a-resource-model-for-cyber-physical-systems/18711 "2026-09-21T11:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ensrationis](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.polkadot.network/ensrationis/32/7927_2.png) [@ensrationis](https://forum.polkadot.network/u/ensrationis)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/robonomics-5-0-a-runtime-only-repo-on-polkadot-omni-node-and-a-resource-model-for-cyber-physical-systems/18711/1 "2026-09-21T11:26:12Z")
Hi all — EnsRationis, software architect at Robonomics (parachain on Polkadot, previously also on Kusama). This summer we started Robonomics 5.0: moving from “a parachain with robotics pallets attached” to an infrastructure protocol for cyber-physical systems. The first step shipped on 15 September as release 50 “Runtime-First”. Full write-up: [Robonomics 5.0, part one](https://robonomics.network/blog/robonomics-5-0-runtime-first/) A few things in it that may be useful to other parachain teams, plus some questions at the end. ### 1. Runtime-only repository, generic omni-node for collators `airalab/robonomics` now contains only the runtime, pallets, chain specs and upgrades. `bin/` and `tools/` are gone; the node and service tooling moved to `airalab/robins`. Collators run the generic `polkadot-omni-node` driven by a chain spec; what remains on our side is a thin binary built on `polkadot-omni-node-lib`. Net effect on the workspace: −21k / +2.5k lines. ### 2. Chain specs as a dependency-free crate `chains/` became a `chain-spec` crate exposing the raw Kusama and Polkadot specs as `&'static str` constants, with an empty `[dependencies]` section. Downstream tooling depends on it instead of vendoring JSON. Pallets, runtime, `subxt-api` and `chain-spec` are all published to [crates.io](http://crates.io). ### 3. Cleanup `RemovePallet` and `RemovePallet` single-block migrations purge storage of two retired pallets; completed Cumulus / XCMP-queue migrations were dropped, only `MigrateToLatestXcmVersion` stays. `spec_version` 43 → 50. Status: runtime 50 is built and published but **not enacted yet** — live chains run 43 (Polkadot) and 42 (Kusama, deprecated). Our first milestone is replacing Sudo with governance. ### 4. The 5.0 model The architecture is in [`docs/robonomics-5.0-roadmap.md`](https://github.com/airalab/robonomics/blob/561bd03367de277b1701eb07858fbcb64ac8d74b/docs/robonomics-5.0-roadmap.md). In short: - **CPS** — a tree of nodes with permanent ids and parents (device → floor → building); on-chain state is topology plus a small current state, not time series. - **Scope** — a boundary with an owner and budgets; authority and budgets do not cross it. - **Access** — separate grants: `Write`, `Transaction`, `Storage`, `Compute`, `CreateScope`. - **Subscription** — per-account resource entitlement (locked XRT via RWS or auction). - **Storage** (planned on Bulletin Chain), **Compute** (off-chain, RISC Zero proofs), **Policy** (which proof may update which node, with replay guards). The part we’d most like feedback on is fees. There is no second price list: transactions are priced in XRT at the ordinary rate, and the only choice is the payer — the signer’s balance, the signer’s subscription, or the subscription of the Scope owner (requires the `Transaction` grant in that Scope). That lets a fleet of devices sign transactions without holding tokens: they sign, the owner pays. Storage and Compute have no code yet — this is the plan, not a status report. ### Questions 1. Teams already running collators on `polkadot-omni-node`: anything that bit you in production (upgrades, telemetry, custom RPC)? 2. Has anyone built a “third party pays the fee” scheme at the transaction-extension level? How did you handle weight and failed-payment edge cases? 3. Anyone planning to use Bulletin Chain for device data? We’d be glad to compare notes. Part two (connectivity layer: protobuf envelopes, LoRa/Meshtastic transport) is coming next — happy to post it here too. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/polkadot2/original/2X/1/12b12cc07f97d07d0cc22ab488398301f87aa494.png) [@system](https://forum.polkadot.network/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/robonomics-5-0-a-runtime-only-repo-on-polkadot-omni-node-and-a-resource-model-for-cyber-physical-systems/18711/2 "2026-09-25T13:03:09Z")
---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/polkadot2/original/2X/1/12b12cc07f97d07d0cc22ab488398301f87aa494.png) [@system](https://forum.polkadot.network/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.polkadot.network/t/robonomics-5-0-a-runtime-only-repo-on-polkadot-omni-node-and-a-resource-model-for-cyber-physical-systems/18711/3 "2026-09-25T17:23:19Z")