On the feasibility of developing a description language for modular robot

by Wu, Qiong; ?[Qiong], null

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of thesis entitled

On the Feasibility of Developing a Description Language for

Modular Robot

submitted by

WU,Qiong

for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong

in June 2004

Modular robot researches generally begin with the design and development of the robot modules before the investigations of their properties, capabilities, reconfiguration and control and communication can take place. This thesis proposed and investigated the feasibility of inventing a description language called MSRDL (Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robot Description Language). A literature survey led to a summary of properties of MSR modules, which provided the grounds for the proposed generalized model of virtual MSR modules. A basic framework of the proposed language was created and the language syntax formalized. Examples of the usage of the language were studied. A mathematical system and scheme were developed to obtain and interpret the spatial positions and orientations of robot modules in their initial and subsequent states. A case study was examined to determine the effectiveness of the proposed language and the mathematical system and scheme. A basic software platform was developed where the language could be used as a working language for the description of robot modules. The software platform interprets and parses program statements and translates them into module and entity properties. The software platform also provides user interactive interface for spontaneous input for the study of the module movements. The study has successfully shown that the proposed description language is feasible and has the potential for being developed into a power tool for design, study, simulation and

control of modular robots. The fully developed language will contribute significantly to research on modular robots, providing a platform for studies of virtual robots prior to their manufacture.

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