Warsaw, 15th of June 2016

Summer homework
Robot Programming Methods (EMPR)
Problem
Design a controller for a system defined as follows:
A two-wheeled mobile platform having a square cross-section (it can be treated as a
unicycle) is the effector. Each of its two wheels is actuated by an independent electric
motor. The vehicle is capable of moving at a maximum speed of 1 m/s.
At the front of the platform three binary light sensors are attached in a line
perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle. The distance between
consecutive sensors is 1 cm. Each sensor is composed of a LED and a phototransistor.
When a white object is in the field of view of a sensor it produces 1 at its output and in
all other cases 0.
The environment in which the robot operates is flat, without obstacles. The plane of
motion is black, however it contains a continuous smooth, but curved, white line, 0.5
cm wide.
Initially the vehicle is positioned on the white line with the central sensor detecting the
white line.
The operator (treated as an agent that needs no definition) initiates the execution of the
task by a START command. The task of the robot is to run along the white line. The
execution of the task is terminated by the operator issuing a STOP command. Please
note that the operator issues 2 different types of commands. The operator contacts the
robot via wireless communication.
Define the structure of the system in terms of agents. Define the necessary:
internal structure of the agents,
sampling rates of the agents subsystems (i.e. iteration period of a behavior of each
subsystem) provide an explanation for your choice,
general behavior of the virtual effector and receptors (just a general statement what
those subsystems do will suffice there is no need to define the transition functions
or the finite state automaton governing the actions of these subsystems)
data structures (buffers) within the control subsystem of the agent,
transition functions and terminal conditions governing the behaviours of the agent
(just the control subsystem) state those in mathematical terms,
structure of the control program of the control subsystem invoking the above defined
behaviours (e.g., a graph, where the nodes represent behaviours and arcs are labeled
by predicates representing initial conditions for behaviour execution).
The design of the controller should be specified using the formalism presented during the
lectures.
The homework has to be delivered to either: prof. C. Zielinski or dr hab. W. Szyniewicz
or the secretariat in room no. 521 not later than the 20th of August in paper form.
The exam will be held on 2nd of September at 11.00 in room no. 569.