Online Modifications for Event-based Signal Temporal Logic Specifications

In this paper we present a grammar and control synthesis framework for online modification of Event-based Signal Temporal Logic (STL) specifications, during execution. These modifications allow a user to change the robots' task in response to potential future violations, changes to the environment, or user-defined task design changes. In cases where a modification is not possible, we provide feedback to the user and suggest alternative modifications. We demonstrate our task modification process using a Hello Robot Stretch satisfying an Event-based STL specification

On the Minimal Revision Problem of Specification Automata

As robots are being integrated into our daily lives, it becomes necessary to provide guarantees on the safe and provably correct operation. Such guarantees can be provided using automata theoretic task and mission planning where the requirements are expressed as temporal logic specifications. However, in real-life scenarios, it is to be expected that not all user task requirements can be realized by the robot. In such cases, the robot must provide feedback to the user on why it cannot accomplish a given task. Moreover, the robot should indicate what tasks it can accomplish which are as "close" as possible to the initial user intent. This paper establishes that the latter problem, which is referred to as the minimal specification revision problem, is NP complete. A heuristic algorithm is presented that can compute good approximations to the Minimal Revision Problem (MRP) in polynomial time. The experimental study of the algorithm demonstrates that in most problem instances the heuristic algorithm actually returns the optimal solution. Finally, some cases where the algorithm does not return the optimal solution are presented.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, 2 tables, International Joural of Robotics Research 2014 Major Revision (submitted

Program Repair Suggestions from Graphical State-Transition Specifications

Abstract. In software engineering, graphical formalisms, like state-transition tables and automata, are very often indispensable parts of the specifications. Such a formalism usually leads to specification re-finement that maintains the simulation/bisimulation relation between an implementation and a specification. We investigate how to use formal techniques to generate suggestions for repairing a program that breaks the bisimulation relation with a graphical specification. We use state graphs as a unified representation of the program models and specifica-tions. We propose a technique that may evaluate the cost of a repair. We present a PTIME heuristic algorithm that suggests how to repair a model state graph. We then explain how to derive repair suggestions for programs from the repair for state graphs. Finally, we report our experi-ment that checks the performance of our repair algorithms and the costs of our repairs. Key words: state graph, state transition relation, repair, graph theory, cost, evaluation, equivalence, bisimulation

CTL Model Update for System Modifications

Model checking is a promising technology, which has been applied for verification of many hardware and software systems. In this paper, we introduce the concept of model update towards the development of an automatic system modification tool that extends model checking functions. We define primitive update operations on the models of Computation Tree Logic (CTL) and formalize the principle of minimal change for CTL model update. These primitive update operations, together with the underlying minimal change principle, serve as the foundation for CTL model update. Essential semantic and computational characterizations are provided for our CTL model update approach. We then describe a formal algorithm that implements this approach. We also illustrate two case studies of CTL model updates for the well-known microwave oven example and the Andrew File System 1, from which we further propose a method to optimize the update results in complex system modifications

Mission and Motion Planning for Multi-robot Systems in Constrained Environments

abstract: As robots become mechanically more capable, they are going to be more and more integrated into our daily lives. Over time, human’s expectation of what the robot capabilities are is getting higher. Therefore, it can be conjectured that often robots will not act as human commanders intended them to do. That is, the users of the robots may have a different point of view from the one the robots do. The first part of this dissertation covers methods that resolve some instances of this mismatch when the mission requirements are expressed in Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) for handling coverage, sequencing, conditions and avoidance. That is, the following general questions are addressed: * What cause of the given mission is unrealizable? * Is there any other feasible mission that is close to the given one? In order to answer these questions, the LTL Revision Problem is applied and it is formulated as a graph search problem. It is shown that in general the problem is NP-Complete. Hence, it is proved that the heuristic algorihtm has 2-approximation bound in some cases. This problem, then, is extended to two different versions: one is for the weighted transition system and another is for the specification under quantitative preference. Next, a follow up question is addressed: * How can an LTL specified mission be scaled up to multiple robots operating in confined environments? The Cooperative Multi-agent Planning Problem is addressed by borrowing a technique from cooperative pathfinding problems in discrete grid environments. Since centralized planning for multi-robot systems is computationally challenging and easily results in state space explosion, a distributed planning approach is provided through agent coupling and de-coupling. In addition, in order to make such robot missions work in the real world, robots should take actions in the continuous physical world. Hence, in the second part of this thesis, the resulting motion planning problems is addressed for non-holonomic robots. That is, it is devoted to autonomous vehicles’ motion planning in challenging environments such as rural, semi-structured roads. This planning problem is solved with an on-the-fly hierarchical approach, using a pre-computed lattice planner. It is also proved that the proposed algorithm guarantees resolution-completeness in such demanding environments. Finally, possible extensions are discussed.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Computer Science 201

A logic approach for LTL system modification

Model checking has been successfully applied to system verification. However, there are no standard and universal tools to date being applied for system modification. This paper introduces a formal approach called the Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) model update for system modification. In contrast to previous error repairing methods, which were usually simple program debugging and specialized technical methods, our LTL model update modifies the existing LTL model of an abstracted system to correct automatically the errors occurring within this model. We introduce three single operations to represent, update, and simplify the updating problem. The minimal change rules are then defined based on such update operations. We show how our approach can eventually be applied in system modifications by illustrating an example of program corrections and characterizing some frequently used properties in the LTL Kripke model.Yulin Ding and Yan Zhan

A logic approach for LTL system modification

Model checking has been successfully applied to system verification. However, there are no standard and universal tools to date being applied for system modification. This paper introduces a formal approach called the Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) model update for system modification. In contrast to previous error repairing methods, which were usually simple program debugging and specialized technical methods, our LTL model update modifies the existing LTL model of an abstracted system to correct automatically the errors occurring within this model. We introduce three single operations to represent, update, and simplify the updating problem. The minimal change rules are then defined based on such update operations. We show how our approach can eventually be applied in system modifications by illustrating an example of program corrections and characterizing some frequently used properties in the LTL Kripke model