Lalitesh K Katragadda Thesis Page
Lalitesh K Katragadda Thesis Page
The proposed thesis research motivates and proposes the following task:
Research has generated understanding of many component robot technologies. However, this technology defies integration into functional machines that fulfill the vision of capable field operation. One barrier is the absence of software that enables designers to compose and evaluate mobile robots from components to functional systems. For this purpose a design environment has been conceived that would create models, generate simulation, evaluate constraints, support trade-offs, generate software, expedite integration, and calibrate with the physical prototype. The foundation of such an environment is a multi-dimensional modeling and integrated simulation platform. This proposal formulates such a modeling & simulation environment, and examines its possible uses in design, development, and operation of mobile robots.
The modeling environment simulates a designer-defined mobile robot system in a specified world. The mobile robot is represented as an interacting set of components coupled by physical relationships and constraints provided by the designer. A blackboard analog embodies the mobile robot and acts as the conduit of interaction for a set of modeling agents which generate dimensions (e.g. dynamics, thermal) of the comprehensive simulation.
In contrast, tools to date either focus on one dimension of the machine (e.g. dynamics) or one component, or use specific and simplified models. In doing so they either prevent evaluation of complete systems or lack flexibility needed for changes in configuration and mission. The research builds upon ideas from design theory & methodology, mobile robot development, modeling methodology, and software engineering.
Postscript of the submitted proposal document can be accessed by anonymous ftp to cs.cmu.edu /afs/cs/user/lalit/www/synergy-proposal.ps