Abstract
Robotic systems are complex, software intensive and heterogeneous composite systems. Software systems engineering and system integration is still a major challenge in robotics. We describe how component based software engineering (CBSE), model-driven software development (MDSD) and domain-specific languages (DSLs) for variability management complement each other in addressing the robotics software challenge. We outline how these approaches pave the way towards a software business ecosystem in robotics. We put a focus onto challenges still being considered as open and worth being addressed next.
Funding statement: The project work at University of Applied Sciences Ulm is supported by BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; grant number 01IM12008B/“iserveU” and 01IS13017C/“FIONA”). The collaboration is jointly funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; Project ID: 54365646; Project leader: Prof. Schlegel) and the General Directorate of International Projects of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO; Project leader: Dr. Vicente-Chicote; Project ID: PRI-AIBDE-2011-1094). Juan F. Inglés-Romero thanks Fundación Séneca-CARM for a research grant (Exp. 15561/FPI/10).
About the authors
Christian Schlegel is professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany. He is head of the real-time systems and autonomous mobile systems lab and head of the service robotics research center (www.servicerobotik-ulm.de). His research interests are in the area of algorithms and mechanisms for intelligent systems with a focus on service robotics. His mission is to further alleviate the gap between lab systems and robust everyday applications. His main research activity is in the field of model-driven software development for sensori-motor systems (www.servicerobotik-ulm.de/drupal/?q=node/20). He is associate editor of JOSER – Journal of Software Engineering for Robotics. Together with Alex Lotz, he has been finalist for the 2012 euRobotics Technology Transfer Award (“Software concepts for service robots – Model-driven software development”).
University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany
Alex Lotz is a Research Associate at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany. He is a member of the service robotics research center (www.servicerobotik-ulm.de) and is involved in the iserveU-Project (intelligent modular technologies for service robots in human environments like hospitals). He is a co-organizer of the European Robotics Modelling Initiative and was, together with Christian Schlegel, finalist for the 2012 euRobotics Technology Transfer Award (“Software concepts for service robots – Model-driven software development”). His research focus is on applying Model Driven Software Development methods to cope with the ever-increasing software complexity as a means towards a successful Robotics Software Business Ecosystem. He has studied Computer Engineering and Information Systems in Ulm where he has received his Master's degree.
University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany
Matthias Lutz is a Research Associate at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany. He is a member of the service robotics research center (www.servicerobotik-ulm.de) and is involved in the iserveU-Project (intelligent modular technologies for service robots in human environments like hospitals). His research interests are in the area of system integration for service robotics as one of the challenges from laboratory towards real world. He has studied Computer Engineering and Information Systems in Ulm where he has received his Master's degree.
University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany
Dennis Stampfer is a Research Associate at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany. He is a member of the service robotics research center (www.servicerobotik-ulm.de) and is involved in the FIONA-Project (Framework for Indoor and Outdoor Navigation Assistance). His research interests include information driven object recognition and system composition for service robotics in a continuous development workflow using model-driven software development. He is a member of IEEE RAS TC-SOFT (Technical Committee on Software Engineering for Robotics and Automation). He has studied Computer Engineering and Information Systems in Ulm where he has received his Master's degree.
University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany
Juan F. Inglés-Romero is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain), where he received a BSc in Telecommunication Engineering (2009) and a MSc in Information and Communication Technologies (2010). His research interests focus on the application of design patterns, components and model-driven engineering techniques to develop (self-) adaptive software for different application domains, such as, robotics, middlewares or data visualizations. He is member of the Spanish Research Network on Model-Driven Software Development.
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Spain
Cristina Vicente-Chicote is an associate professor in the Department of Informatics and Telematic System Engineering at the University of Extremadura (Spain), where she belongs to the Quercus Software Engineering Group (QSEG). She received a BSc in Computer Science at the University of Murcia (Spain) in 1997, and a PhD degree (European Mention) at the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain) in 2005. Her current research interests are in the areas of model-driven engineering, component-based software development, software product lines, and (self-) adaptive system development. She is a member of the Technical Committee on Software Engineering for Robotics and Automation of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS-TCSOFT), and member of the Spanish Research Networks on Model-Driven Software Development and Software Product Lines.
QSEG, Universidad de Extremadura, Caceres, Spain
©2015 Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
