DSL4RAS
System architecture and modular design of robot-like systems using multidimensional characteristics
Problem
To ensure profitability in industrial production and thus to survive in a highly competitive market environment, robotic systems (RAS) have to be developed efficiently for both low-cost and high-end applications.
Objective decision making in the design or selection process of modules is difficult with current methods because no objectively comparable metrics and computational models are available: No description language exists that sufficiently represents both, the domain-specific details of modules of mechanics, electronics and software, and their interdependencies. Without such a description language, cross-disciplinary exchange is limited, and objective and comprehensive consideration of the effects of individual components on the overall system is difficult.
The behavior of robotic systems depends on a variety of factors, such as humidity, temperature, temperature gradient, or the wear of the drive components involved. These effects can only be insufficiently captured by currently used description languages and thus cannot be taken into account in a precise specification formulation.
Objective
The research project aims to define a cross-disciplinary description language (DSL4RAS) for the software and hardware properties of robotic drive components. This should integrate existing description approaches of mechanics, electronics and software and thus make it possible to systematically and comprehensively capture all relevant influences on component and system behavior, especially for robot-like systems, and make them accessible for design. This should enable top-down development of the system architecture with precise formulation of requirements for subsystems and their systematic breakdown to involved components. As a result of this process, comprehensive and multidisciplinary specifications for modules can be derived, which subject all relevant technical aspects to requirements which are sufficient for target fulfillment, and thus modularize the development of components and make it separable.
In DSL4RAS, a complete system description shall provide comprehensive information about the mechanical parts for control system design a priori. Modular assemblies can be represented by multidimensional characteristics that map the effects of environmental influences and load-history effects, such as changing backlash or friction. In this way, the overall system behavior can be reliably predicted even in the event of a changed environment or changed behavior of individual components, and be either automatically adjusted as well as possible - even during operation - or taken into account accordingly during development. The need for readjustment can thus be reduced to a minimum. A prerequisite for this is the precise, model-based description of all components used. The focus in this project is on modeling transmissions in interaction with automation technology elements.