The CARE Language for robotic world modeling
Description
Most robot programming systems are based upon a particular set of robotic hardware, such as a set of manipulators, or even upon a particular installation of that hardware. World models based upon these systems are usually ad-hoc, with limited flexibility toward the inclusion of new devices and capabilities into the model. This work presents an overview of a proposed system called CARE (for Computer Aided Robotic Environment) which will eventually represent a total environment for program development, world model specification, and control of a robotic system, presently concentrating upon the specific domain of assembly. At the center of CARE is the world modeling system upon which its primitives are based, which allows generic specification of objects, their actions, the way in which they interact, and the sensors which may observe the environment. This paper details the design of this world modeling system, called the CARE Language, which follows a modified object oriented paradigm. The utility of the CARE Language design for Task Oriented Robot Programming will demonstrated on a sample robotic environment using a simulator that was developed in the course of this research