On the Design and Prototyping of a Mobile Robot Control System

Modularity is necessary to handle the emerging complexity of modern mobile robot control systems, especially in the early phases of the design work. Today's control systems are facilitated by multi-technological solutions, families of products based on some kernel of solutions, and updates and configurations because of customizations. Exact and verified specifications are of key importance when considering effectiviness of design work for such systems. An example on the development of a mobile robot control system is presented, where the overall system design is guided with well defined functional architecture, called PEM-modelling, to provide consistency and cohesion in the system structures. The requirement definition is carried out following the principles of structured analysis with tools SA-PROSATM and ReaGeniXTM providing ways for exact definitions and fast prototyping. The graphical-textural ReaGEniXTM language follows the SA-principles, but has clear semantics and syntax guaran teeing the exactness.