Connecting conceptual models using relational reference attribute grammars

Abstract

Model-driven engineering can be used to create problem-specific, conceptual models abstracting away unwanted details. Models at runtime take this principle to the time a system is running. Connecting and synchronizing multiple models creates several problems. Usually, models used at runtime must communicate with other systems over the network, they are often based on different paradigms, and in most settings a fast and reactive behaviour is required. We aim for a structured way to define and organize such connections in order to minimize development cost, network usage and computation effort while maximizing interoperability. In order to achieve those goals, we present an extension of the paradigm of models based on reference attribute grammars by creating a dedicated problem-specific language for those connections. We show how to connect several runtime models to a robotic system in order to control this robot and to provide guarantees for safe coexistence with nearby humans. We show, that using our approach, connections can be specified more concisely while maintaining the same efficiency as hand-written code.