Hi All,
Apologies in advance for the long post!
I am currently supporting a University of York (UK) research team by helping them to understand the potential for their software for supporting development and certification, of robotic control systems.
Background for the software
From experience, the research team found many challenges related to developing models for robotic control systems:
- Difficulty accessing, critiquing and validating models
- Difficulty engaging stakeholders with the quality or lack of visual diagrams
- Difficulty making assumptions and rationale transparent
- Once the initial code has been written, a further challenge is presented in keeping models and simulation in sync with code and undertaking early and effective testing of the systems
The research team has found a solution to address all these challenges through the their software for which development is underway. The team will also utilise some technology from Simomics, a University of York spin-out company, which provides solutions to explore, communicate and maximise the value of in-silico models in the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the SimRobotics software will incorporate their innovative diagramming and annotation tools.
Aims
The primary aim is to provide greater transparency and confidence in the systems through the use of tailored diagramming, annotation and evidencing tools but the team also hopes incorporate requirements for certain safety standards and certification, enable better collaboration between stakeholders and provide a place for modellers to learn about models for maintenance and re-use.
The software also allows users to accelerate development of robotic control systems, through the use of automated simulation and testing.
Request for feedback from the community
I would be grateful if you have a minute to provide some insight into your current challenges and opinion on the software.
Below are some specific questions that the team are hoping to gain answers to. Feel free to contribute to any or all of them!
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How do you currently carry out simulation and testing?
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Do you currently face challenges with any of the following?
- Tracing connections between deployed system, code and design
- Communicating evidence of safety to regulators
- Communication evidence of quality to clients or management
- Collaboration between teams
- Would any of the following features/benefits be of value to you?
- Diagrammatically describe the software in a way that allows you to test your high-level designs without having to deploy on the hardware platform
- Use the diagrams to establish core properties of your design, such as deadlock freedom
- Expose the rationale and assumptions that underpin the design
- Obtain sketches of a simulation and test suites automatically
- Explain and control the evolution of simulations, tests and results to ensure traceability, providing provenance of all underpinning data and assumptions
- If the domain of application is regulated, provide appropriate documentation to meet regulatory requirements
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How important is it for you to meet safety standards or obtain certification? Would it be valuable to have the tooling to automatically support certification or assurance of applications?
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Would you be willing to annotate models in the required way to improve model value (understandability, transparency, design justification etc.)?
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Would you prefer the simplicity and ease of use of a dedicated robotic control systems software or complex universal software that offers greater configurability?