Abstract. Component-based software engineering is useful for embedded applications such as robotics. However, heavyweight component systems such as CORBA overstrain the ressources available in many embedded systems. Here, a lightweight component-based approach is used to implement the system software of the so-called CubeSystem, CubeOS. Since 1998, CubeOS and its component system have been successfully used in various areas from industry projects over RoboCup-related research to edutainment applications. Many of the components used in RoboCup soccer have been carried over in the implementation of the IUB Rescue robots, demonstrating the potential for software reuse.