add replacement for dask (#1111)

* Still uses Dask by default.

* Start without Dask with:

```bash
uv run dimos --no-dask  --simulation run unitree-go2-agentic
```

* Startup time improvement so far: 60 seconds before, 45 seconds now. (This is measured from running the command till I can instruct it to "start exploring" and it starts moving).
* There are a lot of potential improvements we can do. This is the first step.

Author: paul-nechifor

dimos/core/blueprints.py

@@ -202,12 +202,15 @@ def _verify_no_name_conflicts(self) -> None:
     def _deploy_all_modules(
         self, module_coordinator: ModuleCoordinator, global_config: GlobalConfig
     ) -> None:
+        module_specs: list[tuple[type[Module], tuple[Any, ...], dict[str, Any]]] = []
         for blueprint in self.blueprints:
             kwargs = {**blueprint.kwargs}
             sig = inspect.signature(blueprint.module.__init__)
             if "global_config" in sig.parameters:
                 kwargs["global_config"] = global_config
-            module_coordinator.deploy(blueprint.module, *blueprint.args, **kwargs)
+            module_specs.append((blueprint.module, blueprint.args, kwargs))
+
+        module_coordinator.deploy_parallel(module_specs)
 
     def _connect_transports(self, module_coordinator: ModuleCoordinator) -> None:
         # Gather all the In/Out connections with remapping applied.

dimos/core/global_config.py

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class GlobalConfig(BaseSettings):
     robot_rotation_diameter: float = 0.6
     planner_strategy: NavigationStrategy = "simple"
     planner_robot_speed: float | None = None
+    dask: bool = True
 
     model_config = SettingsConfigDict(
         env_file=".env",

dimos/core/module.py

@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@
     overload,
 )
 
+from typing_extensions import TypeVar as TypeVarExtension
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from dimos.core.introspection.module import ModuleInfo
 
+from typing import TypeVar
+
 from dask.distributed import Actor, get_worker
 from reactivex.disposable import CompositeDisposable
-from typing_extensions import TypeVar
 
 from dimos.core import colors
 from dimos.core.core import T, rpc
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ class ModuleConfig:
     frame_id: str | None = None
 
 
-ModuleConfigT = TypeVar("ModuleConfigT", bound=ModuleConfig, default=ModuleConfig)
+ModuleConfigT = TypeVarExtension("ModuleConfigT", bound=ModuleConfig, default=ModuleConfig)
 
 
 class ModuleBase(Configurable[ModuleConfigT], SkillContainer, Resource):
@@ -355,7 +358,7 @@ def get_rpc_calls(self, *methods: str) -> RpcCall | tuple[RpcCall, ...]:  # type
         return result[0] if len(result) == 1 else result
 
 
-class DaskModule(ModuleBase[ModuleConfigT]):
+class Module(ModuleBase[ModuleConfigT]):
     ref: Actor
     worker: int
 
@@ -454,5 +457,4 @@ def dask_register_subscriber(self, output_name: str, subscriber: RemoteIn[T]) ->
         getattr(self, output_name).transport.dask_register_subscriber(subscriber)
 
 
-# global setting
-Module = DaskModule
+ModuleT = TypeVar("ModuleT", bound="Module")

dimos/core/module_coordinator.py

@@ -12,22 +12,25 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 import time
-from typing import TypeVar
+from typing import Any
 
 from dimos import core
-from dimos.core import DimosCluster, Module
+from dimos.core import DimosCluster
 from dimos.core.global_config import GlobalConfig
+from dimos.core.module import Module, ModuleT
 from dimos.core.resource import Resource
-
-T = TypeVar("T", bound="Module")
+from dimos.core.rpc_client import RPCClient
+from dimos.core.worker_manager import WorkerManager
 
 
 class ModuleCoordinator(Resource):
-    _client: DimosCluster | None = None
+    _client: DimosCluster | WorkerManager | None = None
+    _global_config: GlobalConfig
     _n: int | None = None
     _memory_limit: str = "auto"
-    _deployed_modules: dict[type[Module], Module] = {}
+    _deployed_modules: dict[type[Module], RPCClient] = {}
 
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -37,29 +40,55 @@ def __init__(
         cfg = global_config or GlobalConfig()
         self._n = n if n is not None else cfg.n_dask_workers
         self._memory_limit = cfg.memory_limit
+        self._global_config = cfg
 
     def start(self) -> None:
-        self._client = core.start(self._n, self._memory_limit)
+        if self._global_config.dask:
+            self._client = core.start(self._n, self._memory_limit)
+        else:
+            self._client = WorkerManager()
 
     def stop(self) -> None:
         for module in reversed(self._deployed_modules.values()):
             module.stop()
 
         self._client.close_all()  # type: ignore[union-attr]
 
-    def deploy(self, module_class: type[T], *args, **kwargs) -> T:  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
+    def deploy(self, module_class: type[ModuleT], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> RPCClient:
         if not self._client:
             raise ValueError("Not started")
 
-        module = self._client.deploy(module_class, *args, **kwargs)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        module = self._client.deploy(module_class, *args, **kwargs)  # type: ignore[union-attr]
         self._deployed_modules[module_class] = module
-        return module  # type: ignore[no-any-return]
+        return module
+
+    def deploy_parallel(
+        self, module_specs: list[tuple[type[ModuleT], tuple[Any, ...], dict[str, Any]]]
+    ) -> list[RPCClient]:
+        if not self._client:
+            raise ValueError("Not started")
+
+        if isinstance(self._client, WorkerManager):
+            modules = self._client.deploy_parallel(module_specs)
+            for (module_class, _, _), module in zip(module_specs, modules, strict=True):
+                self._deployed_modules[module_class] = module
+            return modules  # type: ignore[return-value]
+        else:
+            return [
+                self.deploy(module_class, *args, **kwargs)
+                for module_class, args, kwargs in module_specs
+            ]
 
     def start_all_modules(self) -> None:
-        for module in self._deployed_modules.values():
-            module.start()
+        modules = list(self._deployed_modules.values())
+        if isinstance(self._client, WorkerManager):
+            with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=len(modules)) as executor:
+                list(executor.map(lambda m: m.start(), modules))
+        else:
+            for module in modules:
+                module.start()
 
-    def get_instance(self, module: type[T]) -> T | None:
+    def get_instance(self, module: type[ModuleT]) -> ModuleT | None:
         return self._deployed_modules.get(module)  # type: ignore[return-value]
 
     def loop(self) -> None:

dimos/core/test_modules.py

@@ -89,13 +89,10 @@ def is_module_subclass(
     target_classes = {
         "Module",
         "ModuleBase",
-        "DaskModule",
         "dimos.core.Module",
         "dimos.core.ModuleBase",
-        "dimos.core.DaskModule",
         "dimos.core.module.Module",
         "dimos.core.module.ModuleBase",
-        "dimos.core.module.DaskModule",
     }
 
     def find_qualified_name(base: str, context_module: str | None = None) -> str:
@@ -291,7 +288,7 @@ def get_all_module_subclasses():
     filtered_results = []
     for class_name, filepath, has_start, has_stop, forbidden_methods in results:
         # Skip base module classes themselves
-        if class_name in ("Module", "ModuleBase", "DaskModule", "SkillModule"):
+        if class_name in ("Module", "ModuleBase", "SkillModule"):
             continue
 
         # Skip test-only modules (those defined in test_ files)

dimos/core/test_worker.py

@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Dimensional Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import pytest
+
+from dimos.core import In, Module, Out, rpc
+from dimos.core.worker_manager import WorkerManager
+from dimos.msgs.geometry_msgs import Vector3
+
+
+class SimpleModule(Module):
+    output: Out[Vector3]
+    input: In[Vector3]
+
+    counter: int = 0
+
+    @rpc
+    def start(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    @rpc
+    def increment(self) -> int:
+        self.counter += 1
+        return self.counter
+
+    @rpc
+    def get_counter(self) -> int:
+        return self.counter
+
+
+class AnotherModule(Module):
+    value: int = 100
+
+    @rpc
+    def start(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    @rpc
+    def add(self, n: int) -> int:
+        self.value += n
+        return self.value
+
+    @rpc
+    def get_value(self) -> int:
+        return self.value
+
+
+class ThirdModule(Module):
+    multiplier: int = 1
+
+    @rpc
+    def start(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
+    @rpc
+    def multiply(self, n: int) -> int:
+        self.multiplier *= n
+        return self.multiplier
+
+    @rpc
+    def get_multiplier(self) -> int:
+        return self.multiplier
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def worker_manager():
+    manager = WorkerManager()
+    try:
+        yield manager
+    finally:
+        manager.close_all()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.integration
+def test_worker_manager_basic(worker_manager):
+    module = worker_manager.deploy(SimpleModule)
+    module.start()
+
+    result = module.increment()
+    assert result == 1
+
+    result = module.increment()
+    assert result == 2
+
+    result = module.get_counter()
+    assert result == 2
+
+    module.stop()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.integration
+def test_worker_manager_multiple_different_modules(worker_manager):
+    module1 = worker_manager.deploy(SimpleModule)
+    module2 = worker_manager.deploy(AnotherModule)
+
+    module1.start()
+    module2.start()
+
+    # Each module has its own state
+    module1.increment()
+    module1.increment()
+    module2.add(10)
+
+    assert module1.get_counter() == 2
+    assert module2.get_value() == 110
+
+    # Stop modules to clean up threads
+    module1.stop()
+    module2.stop()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.integration
+def test_worker_manager_parallel_deployment(worker_manager):
+    modules = worker_manager.deploy_parallel(
+        [
+            (SimpleModule, (), {}),
+            (AnotherModule, (), {}),
+            (ThirdModule, (), {}),
+        ]
+    )
+
+    assert len(modules) == 3
+    module1, module2, module3 = modules
+
+    # Start all modules
+    module1.start()
+    module2.start()
+    module3.start()
+
+    # Each module has its own state
+    module1.increment()
+    module2.add(50)
+    module3.multiply(5)
+
+    assert module1.get_counter() == 1
+    assert module2.get_value() == 150
+    assert module3.get_multiplier() == 5
+
+    # Stop modules
+    module1.stop()
+    module2.stop()
+    module3.stop()