A concurrent real-time autonomous mobile robot programming system

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) often operate in unknown environments and their control program execution sequence depends on unpredictable external events. Many action sequences may be required simultaneously such as camera panning, curve-linear motion and manipulator retraction. AMRs therefore require a Concurrent Real-time autonomous mobile Robot Programming System (CRRPS) with a high degree of concurrency and real-time response in order to efficiently specify the robot's actions and responses to external stimuli. An initial design and implementation of such a CRRPS is presented in this dissertation. A unique feature of the CRRPS is that it treats the AMR's hardware actions and software processes in a homogeneous manner. A concurrent module is proposed that offers the means for parallel programming. The COMBINATION communication model sets up a unified communication protocol for hardware devices and concurrent software processes. A new language structure, the SYSTEM DESCRIPTOR, is presented that exhibits powerful functionality--namely making the application program independent from hardware. Therefore, the CRRPS allows for changes in the robot's hardware configuration without a need to modify the users' programs. An efficient scheduling policy, the Reexecutive Scheduling Algorithm, is presented for scheduling multiprocesses with varying priorities. The developed Real-Time Executive includes a Preemptive Priority algorithm which allows the system to respond to urgent events within specified requirement times. An Optimal Obstacle Avoidance algorithm has been developed and incorporated in a Dynamic Path Planning algorithm and has been implemented to verify the characteristic features of CRRPS.