Programming modular robots with locally distributed predicates

We present a high-level language for programming modular robotic systems, based on locally distributed predicates (LDP), which are distributed conditions that hold for a connected subensemble of the robotic system. An LDP program is a collection of LDPs with associated actions which are triggered on any subensemble that matches the predicate. The result is a reactive programming language which efficiently and concisely supports ensemble-level programming. We demonstrate the utility of LDP by implementing three common, but diverse, modular robotic tasks.

Authors

• Michael DeRosa
• Seth Copen Goldstein
• Peter Lee 0001
• Padmanabhan Pillai
• Jason Campbell

Keywords

• Robot programming
• Robot kinematics
• Programming profession
• Robot sensing systems
• Robotics and automation
• Computer languages
• Logic programming
• Automatic programming
• Functional programming
• Shape
• Modular Robots
• Programming Language
• State Variables
• Aggregate Data
• Distribution System
• Sensor Networks
• Automata
• Root Of The Tree
• Tree Level
• Global Connectivity
• Triggered Activity
• Parental Variables
• Entire Ensemble
• Module Groups