Architectural modelling for robotics: RoboArch and the CorteX example

William Barnett; Ana Lucia Caneca Cavalcanti; Alvaro Miyazawa

doi:10.3389/frobt.2022.991637

Architectural modelling for robotics: RoboArch and the CorteX example

William Barnett, Ana Lucia Caneca Cavalcanti, Alvaro Miyazawa

Computer Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The need for robotic systems to be verified grows as robots are increasingly used in complex applications with safety implications. Model-driven engineering and domain-specific languages (DSLs) have proven useful in the development of complex systems. RoboChart is a DSL for modelling robot software controllers using state machines and a simple component model. It is distinctive in that it has a formal semantics and support for automated verification. Our work enriches RoboChart with support for modelling architectures and architectural patterns used in the robotics domain. Support is in the shape of an additional DSL, RoboArch, whose primitive concepts encapsulate the notion of a layered architecture and architectural patterns for use in the design of the layers that are only informally described in the literature. A RoboArch model can be used to generate automatically a sketch of a RoboChart model, and the rules for automatic generation define a semantics for RoboArch. Additional patterns can be formalised by extending RoboArch. In this paper, we present RoboArch, and give a perspective of how it can be used in conjunction with CorteX, a software framework developed for the nuclear industry.

Original language	English
Article number	991637
Number of pages	20
Journal	Frontiers in Robotics and AI
Volume	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2022.991637
Publication status	Published - 28 Oct 2022

Bibliographical note

Keywords

software engineering
patterns
RoboStar framework
nuclear industry
verification
simulation
test
proof

Access to Document

10.3389/frobt.2022.991637Licence: CC BY

frobt-09-991637
© 2022 Barnett, Cavalcanti and Miyazawa
Final published version, 2.52 MBLicence: CC BY

2 Finished

RoboTest: Systematic Model-Based Testing and Simulation of Mobile Autonomous Robots
Cavalcanti, A. L. C. (Principal investigator), Timmis, J. (Co-investigator) & Woodcock, J. (Co-investigator)
EPSRC
1/04/18 → 31/08/24
Project: Research project (funded) › Research
A Calculus for Software Engineering of Mobile and Autonomous Robots
Cavalcanti, A. L. C. (Principal investigator), Timmis, J. (Co-investigator), Woodcock, J. (Co-investigator), Foster, S. D. (Researcher), Li, W. (Researcher), Miyazawa, A. (Researcher) & Ribeiro, P. (Researcher)
EPSRC
1/09/15 → 30/06/21
Project: Research project (funded) › Research

Cite this

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title = "Architectural modelling for robotics: RoboArch and the CorteX example",

abstract = "The need for robotic systems to be verified grows as robots are increasingly used in complex applications with safety implications. Model-driven engineering and domain-specific languages (DSLs) have proven useful in the development of complex systems. RoboChart is a DSL for modelling robot software controllers using state machines and a simple component model. It is distinctive in that it has a formal semantics and support for automated verification. Our work enriches RoboChart with support for modelling architectures and architectural patterns used in the robotics domain. Support is in the shape of an additional DSL, RoboArch, whose primitive concepts encapsulate the notion of a layered architecture and architectural patterns for use in the design of the layers that are only informally described in the literature. A RoboArch model can be used to generate automatically a sketch of a RoboChart model, and the rules for automatic generation define a semantics for RoboArch. Additional patterns can be formalised by extending RoboArch. In this paper, we present RoboArch, and give a perspective of how it can be used in conjunction with CorteX, a software framework developed for the nuclear industry.",

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KW - patterns

KW - RoboStar framework

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KW - simulation

KW - test

KW - proof

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Architectural modelling for robotics: RoboArch and the CorteX example

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Projects

RoboTest: Systematic Model-Based Testing and Simulation of Mobile Autonomous Robots

A Calculus for Software Engineering of Mobile and Autonomous Robots

Cite this