Evaluation of Frame- and Feature-based Software Product Line Tools from the Viewpoint of Mass Customization by End Users

Customers expect Information and Communications Technology (ICT) platforms and applications to deliver services customized to their needs. Software product line (SPL) paradigm uses platforms and variability management to develop mass-customizable software applications. The paradigm necessitates effective software tools to manage platform and application artifacts and traceability and variability information. This paper constructs a comprehensive but lightweight tool evaluation framework and uses it to evaluate two tools, XML-based variant configuration language (XVCL) and FeaturePlugin – a feature modeling plug-in for Eclipse Integrated Development Environment. The paper analyzes the capabilities of the tools for enabling the mass customization of software applications by the end users performing complex workflows. Both the XVCL and FeaturePlugin tool envisage more efficient software system development by means of reusability, support for abstraction, and configuration mechanisms. Future research is needed to refine and validate the evaluation framework in the context of other types of SPL tools

Software architectural support for tangible user interfaces in distributed, heterogeneous computing environments

This research focuses on tools that support the development of tangible interaction-based applications for distributed computing environments. Applications built with these tools are capable of utilizing heterogeneous resources for tangible interaction and can be reconfigured for different contexts with minimal code changes. Current trends in computing, especially in areas such as computational science, scientific visualization and computer supported collaborative work, foreshadow increasing complexity, distribution and remoteness of computation and data. These trends imply that tangible interface developers must address concerns of both tangible interaction design and networked distributed computing. In this dissertation, we present a software architecture that supports separation of these concerns. Additionally, a tangibles-based software development toolkit based on this architecture is presented that enables the logic of elements within a tangible user interface to be mapped to configurations that vary in the number, type and location of resources within a given tangibles-based system

On Software Quality-motivated Design of a Real-time Framework for Complex Robot Control Systems

Frameworks have fundamental impact on software quality of robot control systems. We propose systematic framework design aiming at high levels of support for all quality attributes that are relevant in the robotics domain. Design decisions are taken accordingly. We argue that certain areas of design are especially critical, as changing decisions there would likely require rewriting significant parts of the implementation. For these areas, quality-motivated solutions and benefits for actual applications are discussed. We illustrate and evaluate their implementations in our framework Finroc - after briefly introducing it. This includes a highly modular framework core and a well-performing, lock-free, zero-copying communication mechanism. Finroc is being used in complex and also in commercial robotic projects - which evinces that the approaches are suitable for real-world applications

The design and mathematical modelling of novel extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscles (EBPAMs) for soft exoskeletons

This article presents the development of a power augmentation and rehabilitation exoskeleton based on a novel actuator. The proposed soft actuators are extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscles. This type of soft actuator is derived from extending McKibben artificial muscles by reinforcing one side to prevent extension. This research has experimentally assessed the performance of this new actuator and an output force mathematical model for it has been developed. This new mathematical model based on the geometrical parameters of the extensor bending pneumatic artificial muscle determines the output force as a function of the input pressure. This model is examined experimentally for different actuator sizes. After promising initial experimental results, further model enhancements were made to improve the model of the proposed actuator. To demonstrate the new bending actuators a power augmentation and rehabilitation soft glove has been developed. This soft hand exoskeleton is able to fit any adult hand size without the need for any mechanical system changes or calibration. EMG signals from the human hand have been monitored to prove the performance of this new design of soft exoskeleton. This power augmentation and rehabilitation wearable robot has been shown to reduce the amount of muscles effort needed to perform a number of simple grasps

Mobile platform-independent solutions for body sensor network interface

Body Sensor Networks (BSN) appeared as an application of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to medicine and biofeedback. Such networks feature smart sensors (biosensors) that capture bio-physiological parameters from people and can offer an easy way for data collection. A new BSN platform called Sensing Health with Intelligence Modularity, Mobility and Experimental Reusability (SHIMMER) presents an excellent opportunity to put the concept into practice, with suitable size and weight, while also supporting wireless communication via Bluetooth and IEEE 802.15.4 standards. BSNs also need suitable interfaces for data processing, presentation, and storage for latter retrieval, as a result one can use Bluetooth technology to communicate with several more powerful and Graphical User Interface (GUI)-enabled devices such as mobile phones or regular computers. Taking into account that people currently use mobile and smart phones, it offers a good opportunity to propose a suitable mobile system for BSN SHIMMER-based networks. This dissertation proposes a mobile system solution with different versions created to the four major smart phone platforms: Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone, and Android. Taking into account that, currently, iPhone does not support Java, and Java cannot match a native solution in terms of performance in other platforms such as Android or Symbian, a native approach with similar functionality must be followed. Then, four mobile applications were created, evaluated and validated, and they are ready for use

A systematic approach to airborne sensor orientation and calibration: method and models

Avui dia, s'estima que el mercat de la geom atica mou pels volts de 30 bilions d'euros. Al darrera del creixement d'aquest mercat hi trobem noves tecnologies,projectes i aplicacions, com per exemple, \Global Positioning System"(GPS), Galileo, \Global Monitoring for Environment and Security"(GMES), Google Earth, etc. Actualment, la demanda i el consum de geoinformaci o est a incrementant i, a m es a m es, aquesta ha de ser precisa, exacta, actualitzada i assequible. Amb l'objectiu d'acomplir aquests requisits t ecnics i, en general, la demanda del mercat, la ind ustria i l' ambit acad emic estan introduint un darrera l'altre sistemes d'imatgeria, plataformes a eries i plataformes satel.litals. Per o alhora, aquests sistemes d'adquisici o introdueixen nous problemes com el calibratge i l'orientaci o de sensors, la navegaci o de les plataformes (de manera precisa i exacta segons el seu rendiment), la combinaci o de diferents tipus de sensors, la integraci o de dades auxiliars que provenen de diverses fonts, aspectes temporals com la gravaci o \cont nua"en el temps dels sensors, la feble geometria d'alguns d'ells, etc. Alguns d'aquests problemes es poden resoldre amb els m etodes i estrat egies actuals, sovint afegint pegats, per o la majoria no es poden resoldre amb els m etodes vigents o no es poden resoldre amb els m etodes vigents amb fiabilitat i robustesa. Aquesta tesi presenta les abstraccions i generalitzacions necess aries que permeten desenvolupar la propera generaci o d'ajustos de xarxes i m etodes d'estimaci o amb l'objectiu de resoldre aquests problemes. A m es, basada en aquestes idees, s'ha desenvolupat la principal eina d'aquesta recerca: la plataforma de software \Generic Extensible Network Approach"(GENA). L'objectiu d'aquesta recerca es establir les bases met odiques d'un concepte sistem atic per l'orientaci o i el calibratge de sensors aeris i provar la seva validesa amb nous models i aplicacions. Aix , en primer lloc, prenent dist ancia sobre el que s'ha fet tradicionalment i tenint en compte tot el que ens ofereix la tecnologia INS/GNSS, aquesta tesi genera un m etode per l'explotaci o dels sistemes INS/GNSS en l'orientaci o i el calibratge de sensors aeris. I, en segon lloc, s'han proposat i testejat amb dades reals alguns models que conformen aquest concepte, com per exemple, l' us de temps, posici o i actitud donats pel sistema INS/GNSS en mode relatiu (eliminant la necessitat dels par ametres d'absorci o d'errors INS/GNSS o la matriu d'orientaci o relativa IMU-sensor), l' us de temps, posici o, velocitat i actitud pel calibratge de temps (utilitzant aix la soluci o completa que donen els sistemes INS/GNSS per lligar les dimensions espacial i temporal) o reduir el nombre de mesures de l'orientaci o integrada de sensors tradicional, duent a terme la proposta \fast aerotriangulation", Fast AT. Aquesta recerca est a presentada a la tesi com un compendi d'articles. Aix doncs, els resultats de la tesi no s on nom es el document de la tesi en si mateix i les publicacions, hi ha tamb e un software comercial i models i aplicacions que validen el m etode proposat i representen un nou panorama per l'orientaci o i el calibratge de sensors aeris.En la actualidad, el mercado de la geom atica est a valorado en unos 30 billones de euros. Tras el crecimiento de dicho mercado, se hallan nuevas tecnologias, proyectos y aplicaciones, como por ejemplo, \Global Positioning System"(GPS), Galileo, \Global Monitoring for Environment and Security"(GMES), Google Earth, etc. Hoy en d a, la demanda y el consumo de geoinformaci on est a increment andose y, adem as, dicha informaci on debe ser precisa, exacta, actualizada y asequible. Intentando cumplir estos requisitos t ecnicos y, en general, la demanda del mercado, la industria y el ambito acad emico est an introduciendo uno tras otro sistemas de imagen, plataformas a ereas y plataformas satelitales. Pero a su vez, estos sistemas de adquisici on introducen nuevos problemas como la calibraci on y la orientaci on de sensores, la navegaci on de las plataformas (debe ser precisa y exacta teniendo en cuenta su rendimiento particular), la combinación de diferentes tipos de sensor, la integraci on de datos auxiliares que proceden de diversas fuentes, aspectos temporales como la grabaci on \continua" en el tiempo de los sensores, la d ebil geometr a de algunos de ellos, etc. Algunos de estos problemas pueden resolverse con los m etodos y estrategias actuales, generalmente aplicando parches, pero la mayor a no se pueden resolver con los m etodos vigentes o no se pueden resolver con los m etodos vigentes con fi abilidad y robustez. Esta tesis presenta las abstracciones y generalizaciones necesarias que permiten desarrollar la pr oxima generaci on de ajustes de redes y m etodos de estimaci on con el objetivo de resolver estos problemas. Es m as, basada en estas ideas, se ha desarrollado la herramienta principal de esta investigaci on: la plataforma de software \Generic Extensible Network Approach"(GENA). El objetivo de esta investigaci on es establecer las bases met odicas de un concepto sistem atico para la orientaci on y la calibraci on de sensores a ereos, y probar su validez con nuevos modelos y aplicaciones. As pues, en primer lugar, distanci andonos de lo que tradicionalmente se ha realizado y considerando lo que la tecnolog a INS/GNSS nos ofrece, esta tesis crea un m etodo para la explotaci on de los sistemas INS/GNSS en la orientaci on y la calibraci on de sensores a ereos. Y, en segundo lugar, se proponen y testean con datos reales algunos modelos que constituyen este concepto, como por ejemplo, el uso de tiempo, posici on y actitud dados por el sistema INS/GNSS en modo relativo (eliminando la necesidad de los par ametros de absorci on de errores INS/GNSS o la matriz de orientaci on relativa IMU-sensor), el uso de tiempo, posici on, velocidad y actitud para la calibraci on temporal (utilizando as la soluci on completa que dan los sistemas INS/GNSS para enlazar las dimensiones espacial y temporal) o reducir el n umero de medidas de la orientaci on integrada de sensores tradicional, llevando a cabo la propuesta \fast aerotriangulation", Fast AT. Esta investigaci on est a presentada en la tesis como un compendio de art culos. Resumiendo, los resultados de la tesis no son s olo el documento de la tesis en sí mismo y las publicaciones, existe tambi en un software comercial y modelos y aplicaciones que validan el m etodo propuesto y presentan un nuevo panorama para la orientaci on y la calibraci on de sensores a ereos.The geomatic market has an estimated value of some 30 thirty trillion euros. Behind this growing market, there are new technologies, projects and applications like Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), Google Earth, etc. Modern society is increasingly demanding and consuming geoinformation that must be precise, accurate, up-to-date and affordable. In an attempt to meet these technical requirements and general market demand, industry and academia are introducing one imaging system, airborne platform and satellite platform after another. These acquisitions are introducing new problems such as calibration and orientation of the sensors, navigation of the platforms (with an accurate and precise processing of their individual performances), combination of different types of sensors, integration of auxiliary data provided from various sources, temporal issues of the ¿continuously¿ recording sensors, weak geometry of some sensors, etc. Some of the previous problems can be solved with current methods and strategies, oftentimes with a dose of patchwork. However, the vast majority of these problems cannot be solved with the current methods, or at least not with a like degree of robustness and reliability. This thesis presents the abstractions and generalizations needed to facilitate the development of the next generation of network adjustment and estimation methods that will make it possible to solve these problems. Moreover, the main tool of this research is a commercial software platform, ¿Generic Extensible Network Approach' (GENA), based on the proposed network approach. The goal of this research is to establish a methodical basis of a systematic approach to airborne sensor orientation and calibration and to prove its validity with newly-developed models and applications. On one hand, viewing the traditional DiSO and ISO from a distance and considering the possibilities that the INS/GNSS technology offers, this thesis generates a method to exploit the INS/GNSS systems for airborne sensor orientation and calibration. On the other hand, several models that constitute this method are proposed and tested with independent actual data sets; for example, the use of INS/GNSS-derived time, position and attitude in relative mode (avoiding the need for GNSS linear shift parameters, that absorb the INS/GNSS errors, or the relative orientation IMU-to-sensor, boresight, matrix), the use of INS/GNSS-derived time, position, velocity and attitude for time calibration (exploiting the full solution of the INS/GNSS systems to link the space and time dimensions) or the measurement reduction of the traditional integrated sensor orientation to perform the proposed "fast aerotriangulation", or Fast AT. This research is presented in the thesis as compiled papers. Therefore, the results of this thesis are not only the thesis document itself and a number of publications, but also a commercial software platform and models and applications that validate the proposed method and present a new panorama for airborne sensor orientation and calibration

Cooperative algorithms for a team of autonomous underwater vehicles

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Axon: A Middleware for Robotics

The area of multi-robot systems and frameworks has become, in recent years, a hot research area in the field of robotics. This is attributed to the great advances made in robotic hardware, software, and the diversity of robotic systems. The need to integrate different heterogeneous robotic components and systems has led to the birth of robotic middleware. A robotic middleware is an intricate piece of software that masks the heterogeneity of underlying components and provides high-level interfaces that enable developers to make efficient use of the components. A large number of robotic middleware programs exist today. Each one comes with its own design methodologies and complexities. Up to this moment, however, there exists no unified standard for robotic middleware. Moreover, many of the middleware in use today deal with low-level and hardware aspects. This adds unnecessary complexity in research involving robotic behavior, inter-robot collaboration, and other high-level experiments which do not require prior knowledge of low-level details. In addition, the notion of structured lightweight data transfer between robots is not emphasized in existing work. This dissertation tackles the robotic middleware problem from a different perspective. The aim of this work is to develop a robust middleware that is able to handle multiple robots and clients within a laboratory environment. In the proposed middleware, a high-level representation of robots in an environment is introduced. Also, this work introduces the notion of structured and efficient data exchange as an important issue in robotic middleware research. The middleware has been designed and developed using rigorous methodologies and leading edge technologies. Moreover, the middleware’s ability to integrate different types of robots in a seamless manner, as well as its ability to accommodate multiple robots and clients, has been tested and evaluated

Motion Control of the Hybrid Wheeled-Legged Quadruped Robot Centauro

Emerging applications will demand robots to deal with a complex environment, which lacks the structure and predictability of the industrial workspace. Complex scenarios will require robot complexity to increase as well, as compared to classical topologies such as fixed-base manipulators, wheeled mobile platforms, tracked vehicles, and their combinations. Legged robots, such as humanoids and quadrupeds, promise to provide platforms which are flexible enough to handle real world scenarios; however, the improved flexibility comes at the cost of way higher control complexity. As a trade-off, hybrid wheeled-legged robots have been proposed, resulting in the mitigation of control complexity whenever the ground surface is suitable for driving. Following this idea, a new hybrid robot called Centauro has been developed inside the Humanoid and Human Centered Mechatronics lab at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). Centauro is a wheeled-legged quadruped with a humanoid bi-manual upper-body. Differently from other platform of similar concept, Centauro employs customized actuation units, which provide high torque outputs, moderately fast motions, and the possibility to control the exerted torque. Moreover, with more than forty motors moving its limbs, Centauro is a very redundant platform, with the potential to execute many different tasks at the same time. This thesis deals with the design and development of a software architecture, and a control system, tailored to such a robot; both wheeled and legged locomotion strategies have been studied, as well as prioritized, whole-body and interaction controllers exploiting the robot torque control capabilities, and capable to handle the system redundancy. A novel software architecture, made of (i) a real-time robotic middleware, and (ii) a framework for online, prioritized Cartesian controller, forms the basis of the entire work