Design of real-time large scale robot software platform and its implementation in the remote-brained robot project

Abstract

Constructing an environment for robot software research, which can program and experiment in various robot behaviors, design of a software development platform becomes important problem. This paper describes a design of "Software Platform" for real-time large scale robot software, and its implementation in the "Remote-Brained Robot Project". The Software Platform is designed as three layers, "MOTHER, BRAIN, SENSOR-MOTOR". MOTHER consists of tools to produce and evolve BRAIN programs. For tools and libraries in such platform, there are two major problems. One is, there is tradeoff relationship between "Extension" and "Share". A way of overcoming this problem is described. The other is, the methodology is needed between low-level real-time parallel environment monitoring program and high-level software that takes much time. A system developed for remote-brained robots and its application are described. This system aims at developing many sorts of brain architecture and high level software that consists of various flexible multiprocess network.