Coordination specification for CIRSSE robotic platform system using Petri net transducers

A formal model based on Petri net transducers has been developed to specify the coordination and communication among the various task units in the CIRSSE platform system for robotic construction in space stations. The specification guarantees a mechanism of coherent control and communication for the effective cooperation among the different task units, and outlines the major steps toward the integration of the robotic platform system. The model is based on a coordination structure consisting of one dispatcher and three coordinators representing, respectively, the motion, vision, and gripper units of the platform system. The coordination structure insures some desired process properties for the system, such as boundedness, liveness, and reversibility, and easier translation from the formal specifications to the program codes based on Petri net transducer models. The model also assists with the system development in many ways, including (i) reducing the number of errors introduced while converting specifications on codes; (ii) assisting the developers in program implementation and verification (iii) allowing quicker adaptation to changed specifications; and (iv) allowing easier testing of the results for specification modifications. Therefore, it provides a useful tool for the design, simulation, performance evaluation, and implementation verification of the CIRSSE robotic platform system.