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NIST Technical Note 1277

Concept for a Reference Model

Architecture for Real-Time Intelligent

Control Systems (ARTICS)

James Albus, Richard Quintero, Ronald Lumia,

Martin Herman, Roger Kilmer, and Kenneth Goodwin

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1990

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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS &

TECHNOLOGY

Research Information Center

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

DATE DUE

Demco, Inc. 38-293
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W/ST Technical Note 1277

Concept for a Reference Model

Architecture for Reai-Time Intelligent

Control Systems (ARTICS)

James Albus

Richard Quintero

Ronald Lumia

Martin Hernnan

Roger Kilmer

Kenneth Goodwin

Robot Systems Division Center for Manufacturing Engineering

National Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

April 1990

U.S. Department of Commerce

Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

John W. Lyons, Director
National Institute of Standards U.S. Government Printing Office For sale by the Superintendent

and Technology Washington: 1990 of Documents

Technical Note 1277 U.S. Government Printing Office

Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Washington, DC 20402

Tech. Note 1277

30 pages (Apr. 1 990)

CODEN: NTNOEF
Concept for a Reference Model Architecture for

Real-Time Intelligent Control Systems (ARTICS)

by

James S. Albus, Richard Quintero, Ronald Lumia,

Martin Herman, Roger Kilmer, and Kenneth Goodwin

Robot Systems Division

National Institute of Standards and Technology

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a concept for the development of a reference model open-system architecture

for real-time, sensory interactive, intelligent machine systems. Central to this notion is a desire to accelerate technological development, technology transfer and commercialization of world class

control system products in the field of robotics, intelligent machines and automation. A plan is outlined whereby a reference model Architecture for Real-Time Intelligent Control Systems

(ARTICS) can be defined through the cooperative efforts of industry, academia and government.

As envisioned ARTICS would be a series of evolving guidelines specifying an infrastructure of

hardware components, software components, interfaces, communications protocols and

application development tools. An ARTICS reference model would make it possible for industry to develop and market a diverse line of control system components which could be interchangeable

and realizable on many different vendors' intelligent machine systems platforms.

KEY WORDS:

ARTICS, automation, control systems, intelligent machines, real-time control, reference model

control architecture, robotics

m

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. ARTICS VISION 2

3. REQUIREMENTS 7

3.1. Extensibility 7

3.1.1. Functional Extensibility 7

3.1.2. Temporal Extensibility 7

3.2. Human/Computer Interface Flexibility 8

3.3. Level of Automation Flexibility 8

3.3.1. Teleoperation and Remote Control 11

3.3.2. Computer Aided Advisory Control 11

3.3.3. Traded Control 11

3.3.4. Shared Control 11

3.3.5. Human Override 11

3.3.6. Human Supervised Control 12

3.3.7. Autonomous Control 12

3.3.8. Sensory Interactive Control 12

3.3.9. Mixed mode Control 12

3.4. Real-Time and Temporal Reasoning 13

3.5. Dist ri buted System 13

3.6. Graceful Degradation 13

3.7. Application Independence 13

3.7.1. Software Portability 14

3.7.2. Compatibility and Inter-Operability. 14

3.8. Ease of Use 14

3.9. Cost Effectiveness 14

3.10. Development Environment 14

3.11. Simulation and Animation 14

4. APPROACH 15

5. REFERENCE MODEL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 17

5.1. Guidelines Evolution Process 17

5.2. Research Support 17

5.3. Coordination Structure 18

5.4. Testing and Validation 18

5.5. Community Input 18

6. CLOSING COMMENTS 19

7. REFERENCES 21

APPENDIX A 2 5

Concept for a Reference Model Architecture for Real-Time Intelligent

Control Systems (ARTICS)

by

James S. Albus, Richard Quintero, Ronald Lumia,

Martin Herman, Roger Kilmer, and Kenneth Goodwin

Robot Systems Division

National Institute of Standards and Technology

INTRODUCTION

This paper advocates the development of a reference model open-system Architecture for RealTime Intelligent Control Systems (ARTICS) as a means to accelerate the pace of technological

development in automation and robotics. We believe many of the major bottlenecks in the

development of intelligent machine systems could be alleviated, if not eliminated, by the

development of a set of ARTICS guidelines.

The pace of commercial and mihtary technological advancement in the fields of robotics, intelligent

machine systems and automation is falling short of expectations. Problem complexity is one of the

major contributors to this problem. For example, the task of emulating even insect level

intelligence, sensory perception, dexterity and functionality has proven to be much more difficult

and costly than many had thought. Intelligent robot systems projects typically require bringing

together teams of technologists with a broad mix of engineering disciplines and a high level of

expertise. Robotics and automation manufacturers must make large investments in both developing

custom test-beds and in recruiting and training competent engineering teams in order to compete in

this market area. A second problem is the lack of a widely accepted theory, or system architecture

that ties together the many disciplines involved in intelligent robot systems. This limits the

dissemination of intelligent machine systems technology developed in different parts of the robotics

community. This prevents new projects from building upon the foundations laid by previous

efforts.

A set of ARTICS guidelines would reduce the impact of problem complexity and would provide an

efficient means of transferring technology between projects. Manufacturers will adopt ARTICS

guidelines if they believe that their potential profits would be enhanced by an expanded market.

This must be driven by traditional market forces (user demand). We need a way to create

automation building blocks so that more complex systems can be developed without making the

technologies more difficult to understand and to apply and without "reinventing the wheel" each

time a new project begins. We believe that a common hardware/software shell structure would

facilitate the incremental improvement which would produce rapid advancement in automation and

robotics technology.

To summarize the goals advocated by this paper, we suggest that an Architecture for Real-Time

Intelligent Control Systems (ARTICS) is needed to:

1
* reduce the impact of problem complexity in the development of robotic

applications

* expand the market for intelligent control system components through open-system

interface guidelines and protocols.

* promote portability, inter-operability and modularity of intelligent control system

software and hardware

* facilitate technology transfer between intelligent control system projects

* reduce the time, cost, risk, and initial investment required in bringing new, world

class, intelligent machine systems and control system products into the market place

2. ARTICS VISION

As envisioned, ARTICS will be a series of guidelines that define a framework of hardware and

software system components with well defined interfaces and communications protocols. It would

be an evolving series of guidelines, which would be issued in versions and updated as the

technology matures.

ARTICS guidelines would specify a reference model infrastructure of hardware components,

software components, interfaces, communications protocols, and application development tools.

Such a set of guidelines would make it possible for industry to develop and market a diverse Hne of

control system components which could be interchangeable and realizable on many different

vendors' control systems platforms.

ARTICS would be designed to facilitate technology and component transfer among the various

users and developers, taking advantage of commonalities among otherwise disparate applications

such as manufacturing, construction, environmental restoration, mining, space exploration

telerobotics, medicine, and military applications of air, land, space, sea-surface, and undersea

robotics.

A commercially manufactured ARTICS implementation product would come with libraries of

algorithms for planning, task execution, sensor processing and world modeling. These libraries

would be user expandable and replaceable. An ARTICS implementation would be fully

documented so that users could easily modify or replace any module with a minimum of effort. It would also be commercially maintained, so that users would be able to get help in fixing bugs and

making system modifications. In addition, vendors would offer training services to help the user community apply ARTICS products to their applications.

Widely available ARTICS off-the-shelf products would include a target computer system with a backplane and bus configured as a card cage, a local area network to link distributed applications

and interface workstations for human/computer interface and software development, a real-time

multi-processor/multi-tasking operating system, compilers, debuggers, and CASE tools. ARTICS

compliant products could be integrated into an extendable open-system architecture with complete

documentation of all hardware and software components.
The ultimate goal would be for ARTICS to evolve into a set of standards for real-time intelligent

control systems. Following the example of music stereo systems or microprocessors: the hardware

and software of manufacturers world-wide can be interconnecte-d and used in an endless array of

applications; and new, innovative component products can be connected as soon as they are introduced into the marketplace. The large market of potential applications will encourage the

development of innovative new components, and new innovations will be marketable as soon as they adhere to the standards and interface protocols.

Figure 1 illustrates a possible common system configuration for a Version 1 ARTICS system. It would be organized into three levels.

The top level would consist of a number of workstations on an Ethernet for off-line software

development and testing. A number of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools, shell

programs, simulators, debugging and analysis tools, and compilers for at least C, Ada, and

Common LISP would be available.

These workstations might include one or more SUNs, LISP machines, VAXes, Butterflys,

Connection Machines, graphics engines and display and image processing machines.

One or more of the workstation machines might also be used for on-line real-time control of

processes where response time can exceed 1 second, and in situations where weight, power, and

other environmental requirements permit. A real-time, multi-computer, multi-tasking operating

system such as real-time UNIX, or MACH would be provided to support this type of operation.

The top level would also support an interface to a gaming environment such as the DARPA

SIMNET. This would provide a low cost means for testing and evaluating the performance of

intelligent machines in a war gaming environment against manned systems, or other unmanned

systems. It would also provide an environment for developing tactics and strategy for using large

numbers of intelligent vehicles and weapons systems in large scale battle simulations.

The middle level of the ARTICS system would consist of target hardware, such as single board

computers and memory boards of the 680X0 variety, using VME or Multi-bus communications.

More than one such bus might be connected via bus gateway cards. This middle level would have

a real-time, multi-processor, multi-tasking operating system such as pSOS, VRTX, or MACH

capable of supporting response times of ten milliseconds or greater.

The bottom level would consist of special purpose hardware which would interface to the VME or

Multi-bus. This level would support high speed parallel processing for images, as well as servo

controllers with response times between ten microseconds and ten milliseconds.
ARTICS VERSION 1

COMMON SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

SUNS

LISP machines

VAX

Connection machine

Butterfly

IRIS

N-Cube

Off-line:

Software development and test CASE tools

Simulators

Debugging and analysis tools

C, ADA, LISP

On-line:

Real-time (> 1 second) multi-computer

multi-tasking operating system

(UNIX,MACH)

Gaming interface

Ether

Net

Communications

680X0

Single

Board

Computers

Target Hardware:

Real-time (10 msec - 1 sec) target hardware

multi-processor, multi-tasking operating system

(pSOS, VRTX,MACH)

Sensory interactive dynamic trajectory generation

680X0

or

Special

Purpose

Hardware

VME

orMulti-bus

Communications

Real-time (10 microsec -10 msec) special

purpose boards for high performance servos

On

Board

Commimications

SENSORS ACTUATORS

Figure 1

4
The goal for ARTICS would be an open system architecture with full documentation so that

manufacturers and software designers could plug their products into one or more modules with

complete compatibility. Modules from one robotic application, such as a remotely piloted air

vehicle, could be made convertible to another application, such as a ground vehicle. For example,

world model map management and map to egosphere transformation modules might be transferable

from one application to another. The hardware, data structure, and interfaces could be common,

while the data would be appUcation specific.

Figure 2 shows a possible reference model architecture based the Real-time Control System (RCS)

concepts NIST has developed since 1980. These have been implemented in a number of

applications including the Automated Manufacturing Research FaciUty (AMRF), the NASA/NBS

Standard Reference Model for Telerobot Control System Architecture (NASREM) [Al 89], the Air

Force Next Generation Controller for machine tools and robots, and the control system architecture

research conducted for the NIST/DARPA Multiple Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MAUV) project

[Al 88]. The version of ARTICS shown here consists of six hierarchical levels: servo, path

dynamics, elemental tasks, individual (vehicle), group (squad), and cell (platoon).

The top (platoon) level of this reference model architecture would have interfaces to a higher

(company) level in a battle management system. The bottom (servo) level would interface to actuators and sensors, and operator interfaces would be defined for all levels.

NIST hopes to enlist the cooperation of experts from industry, academia, and government in

developing and modifying these concepts into an agreed upon initial set of guidelines. NIST also

intends to sponsor research and enlist others to sponsor research, into advanced concepts that will

permit the ARTICS guidelines to evolve as technology advances.
REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE

FOR

REAL-TIME INTELLIGENT CONTROL

QZ

2

t

c

b

C

CELL

(PLATOON)

GROUP

(SQUAD)

CSS INDIVIDUAL H

(VEHICLE)

ELEMENTAL

TASKS o

H

PATH P^

DYNAMICS

O

SERVOS

i I

1 ' SENSORS

Figure 2

ACTUATORS

6
3 . REQUIREMENTS

In this section we will begin the process of identifying a set of requirements for an ARTICS

architecture. This set of requirements is intended as a "strawman" framework to encourage the

robotics community to begin the discourse.

3.1. Extensibility

The goal of extensibility is to provide for both planned and unplanned growth of the application

through upgrades of hardware, software or both. Planned growth can mean designing a product

line where functionality and cost increase incrementally by building in interfaces and hardware

slots for system expansion. Unplanned growth is usually driven by user demand after a product is in the marketplace. Unplanned growth occurs when a product is upgraded to improve performance

or functionality by adding to or upgrading the system with new technology which may not have

existed or was too expensive when the system was originally designed. The development team

should be able to select an appropriate set of modules so as to reach a balance between

functionaUty, user friendliness and cost for their first design with confidence that expanding the

design will be feasible. The developers should be able to start with a small inexpensive design and

grow the design into a more complex system.

3.1.1. Functional Extensibility

Functional extensibility is defined here as the ability to add new or additional functions to a system

or to improve the performance of the system while minimizing and localizing the need for redesign.

For example new or improved sensors, actuators communications links or human interface devices

might be added which could require a corresponding upgrade to the control system hardware

and/or software. Upgrades might also take the form of new or modified functions which a robotic

system is to perform without adding new sensors or end-effectors. In a hierarchical design such

functions could be added at the same level as (in parallel with) existing functions or as an additional

layer. The extensibility requirement demands that the effect of adding functionality to the original

design be localized to that part of the design where the function is added (limiting the "rippleeffect" on the design as a whole). This requirement implies that ARTICS should have a modular

structure with clearly defined interfaces, command flow and information flow. ARTICS should

also allow the development of simple, flat (single layer) structures as well as more complex

hierarchical designs.

3.1.2. Temporal Extensibility

Temporal extensibility is defined as the ability to expand the temporal range over which an

intelligent robotic system can react to its environment and plan future actions in real-time. For

example a real-time intelligent control system might have been originally designed to perform

planning functions over a time span of 1 hour and have the ability to react to extemal events with a response time of tens of milliseconds. Expanding such a system's temporal span of control might

involve increasing its planning horizon to several hours and/or increasing its real-time reaction time

capability to a millisecond or less. The goal of temporal extensibility is to allow such increased

real-time performance while limiting the need for and the extent of redesign.
3.2. Human/Computer Interface Flexibility

ARTICS must provide for a very wide range of human/computer interface. The system designer

must be able to select from a large variety of existing and future human interface devices to arrive at an appropriate match between the level of man-in-the-loop complexity and the degree of "user- friendliness" to be achieved in a design. This implies that ARTICS must include very flexible

hardware interface guidelines and software protocols. ARTICS must allow the use of human input

devices such as: switches, buttons, levers, replica master devices, joy-sticks, track balls, mouse

devices, keyboards, microphones, and teach pendants as well as sophisticated devices such as six

degree-of-freedom space balls, hand gloves, body gloves, and head position sensors. ARTICS

should also accommodate a wide range of human interface display devices such as cathode ray tube

(CRT) devices, plasma displays, printers, plotters, color displays, three dimensionad displays,

analog presentation of data (gages), audio output devices, video displays, helmet mounted

displays, as well as devices to stimulate the operator's other senses as appropriate to the application

(feel, balance, temperature, vibration, smell, taste, etc.). In short ARTICS must not limit the

designer's choice of human interface devices.

3.3. Level of Automation Flexibility

Automation flexibility is defined as the ability to expand or minimize both the degree of automation

complexity and the level of man-in-the-loop control. The goal is to allow the robotic system

designer to "trade-off between the functions to be performed by an operator and those which are

to be automated. An ARTICS application should be possible as a simple teleoperated or remote

control system with the ability to incrementally enhance the level of automation to fully

autonomous operation.

As shown in figure 3, a control system application can be thought of as occupying some volume

in the space defined by three axes (not necessarily orthogonal). In figure 3 we define the X-axis as representing a high degree of man-in-the-loop interaction at the origin and increasing autonomy to the right. The Y-axis indicates the level of sensory input to the apphcation with increasing sensory

capability from the origin (i.e., sensor performance, number and types of sensors). The Z-axis

depicts the level of processing and communications power in an application increasing from the

origin (including conventional and artificial intelligence hardware and software technologies).

To illustrate the idea of automation flexibility we have placed several examples in the figure. Figure

3 shows that a toggle switch has a high degree of human control, no sensory capability and no

processing power. A thermostat is shown as a highly autonomous single sensor device with almost no processing power. A telerobot system has a high degree of human control and also some level

of autonomy. A telerobot might also employ moderate levels of sensors, processing and

communications power. A pick and place robot can be highly autonomous but it might employ little or no sensory capability and relatively little processing power. Smart weapons systems tend to be

highly autonomous and usually include moderately high levels of sensor and processing power.

Expert systems applications might require very high levels of processing power. They might also

receive and process sensory data and they are typically designed to be highly human interactive

with no capability for autonomous control. An intelligent machine is characterized by high levels of

processing, communications and sensory power while spanning the X-axis to indicate both high

levels of human interactive capabiUty and high levels of autonomous capabilities.

8
ARTICS must be able to support the development of robotic systems which utilize any combination

of automation complexities. That is, the designer must be free to "trade off" functions to be

performed as closed-loop autonomous functions (using sensory interactive control) and those

system functions to be directed by an operator.
co

ezBo3<

10
3.3.1. Teleoperation and Remote Control

ARTICS must allow a designer to develop applications employing little or no automation. The

designer should be free to develop low-level open-loop control systems where all machine actuator

motion is controlled by an operator. A simple example of such a remote control system is a radio

controlled vehicle which is controlled via a joy stick by a human operator using human visual

contact to close the control loop. When such a system includes sensors the data are normally fed

back to the operator for interpretation and action such as a video link between a teleoperator system

and the operator. ARTICS should also support the development of teleoperator master/slave

systems employing force-reflective feedback to the operator.

3.3.2. Computer Aided Advisory Control

ARTICS must support the development of robotic applications employing computer aided advisory

control. Such a system is one in which a computer analyzes the internal system status and the

external world state in real-time and advises the human operator as to a recommended course of

action. These are man-in-the-loop systems which require positive operator control in order to activate actuators. Such a system might also allow the operator to pose "what if questions to explore alternative actions based on computer predictions. This requirement suggests the

integration of expert systems with teleoperated or manually controlled ("fly by wire") systems.

3.3.3. Traded Control

ARTICS must allow the design of traded-control systems where the operator can selectively choose

to employ autonomous subfunctions or retain manual or teleoperator control of machine motions.

In a traded control design the operator and the machine alternate in controlling the robotic system.

3.3.4 Shared Control

ARTICS must allow the designer to develop systems employing shared control. For example an

end-effector's movement might be controlled autonomously in 2 degrees of freedom (e.g., vertical

and X-axis translation) and manually by the operator in a third degree (y-axis translation) of

freedom.

3.3.5. Human Override

ARTICS must provide for the development of control systems where an operator can interrupt or

override autonomous machine functions while they are in execution. For example a remote control

land vehicle might employ an autonomous steering function capable of following a planned driving

path and a human override control capabihty. If we assume the system includes a remote command

module for an operator with a real-time video display of the path being traversed by the vehicle and

a steering wheel with reflective-force feedback, the operator could employ human override control

by simply grasping the steering wheel and manually controlling the path taken by the vehicle.

When the operator releases the wheel the system would resume autonomous control.

11
3.3.6. Human Supervised Control

ARTICS must allow the designer to develop systems with autonomous subfunctions which can be

invoked or rejected by a human operator who supervises all machine actions. In this type of

implementation low level functions are typically either pre-coded in software by the application

developer or learned by the robot in teach mode. These low level autonomous behaviors can then

be activated at the operator's discretion.

3.3.7. Autonomous Control

ARTICS must provide the guidelines necessary to implement autonomous control of some or all machine functions. Autonomous control includes simple open-loop pre-coded or learned machine

behaviors typically employing position control as well as more complex closed-loop sensory

interactive control. Autonomous control also includes complex computerized intelligent machine

functions such as sensory processing, situation assessment, world modeling and task

decomposition (including real-time planning). ARTICS must be able to accommodate single level

intelligent control system architectures or complex multi-level hierarchical control system

architectures.

3.3.8. Sensory Interactive Control

ARTICS must be able to support systems which employ sensors to perform closed-loop

autonomous control over some or all of their system functions in real-time. Sensors may be used to measure the internal state of the machine in real-time and/or the state of the external environment.

For example a torque sensor can be used to constantly measure the forces being exerted by a robot

arm joint in order to perform closed-loop autonomous force control of arm movement (compliant

motion control) or to provide reflective-force feedback for a teleoperator system. In a more

complex control loop a camera can be used to track the movement of an object in a robot's

environment in order to coordinate the movement of an end-effector with relation to the object

being tracked. Radar, sonar, laser and vision sensor systems can be used to measure the range of

objects in the environment and to map their features. The system designer should not be limited in

his or her selection of sensors to be applied to a robotic problem. This requirement implies a need

for hardware, software and protocol standards for interfacing sensors as well as the opportunity to develop generic software libraries required to acquire, filter, process, model and interpret real-time

sensory data.

3.3.9. Mixed Mode Control

ARTICS must be able to accommodate mixed mode control systems designs where the developer is free to design a complex mix of any or all of the modes of control discussed above without

violating the ARTICS conceptual architecture precepts.

12
3.4. Real-Time and Temporal Reasoning

The ARTICS guidelines must provide for real-time control system hardware and software

components as well as temporal reasoning software for complex intelligent machine applications.

The system designer should have at his or her disposal a real-time operating system, system clock

hardware, synchronous and asynchronous software timing control routines and hardware/software

interrupt processing components. The design team must be able to select ARTICS compliant

modules and interfacing components which will provide a sufficient closed-loop bandwidth to match the real-time constraints of the appUcation. Temporal reasoning software will be needed to keep track of the history of events the intelligent machine has encountered during a task evolution

(in order to predict future events) and to reason about time dependent functions (e.g., scheduling

tasks, time-out functions, aging facts and data, etc.). Temporal reasoning ability would be a

particularly important feature for artificial intelUgence products such as expert system shells.

3.5. Distributed System

ARTICS must support intelligent machine applications involving distributed networks of microprocessor and computer control systems as well as stand alone single robot applications. Such

applications could include the coordinated control of several robots forming a work cell in a factory

environment, several earth moving vehicles forming a coordinated work cell for construction or land reclamation, a number of unmanned military land and air vehicles performing a coordinated

mission or a man-machine automated system involving several groups of robots, computer

systems and people arranged in a semi-autonomous hierarchy. This requirement suggests a strong

need for communications protocols utiUzing processor to processor interfaces, local area networks

and remote network communications as weU as distributed database management guidelines.

3.6. Graceful Degradation

ARTICS should support the development of applications which require graceful degradation. This

is particularly important when the application involves military combat or other hazardous

environments. This requirement suggests that ARTICS should support the development of control

systems made up of many modular components capable of some level of independent function even when other parts of the distributed intelligent machine are no longer functioning.

3.7. Application Independence

An important goal of the ARTICS concept is to achieve a high level of application independence for

intelligent machine system components. ARTICS guidelines should make it possible to develop

libraries of intelligent machine system software and hardware components which can be easily

utilized in a wide variety of applications with little or no modification.

13
3.7.1. Software Portability

Software guidelines are required to insure that software libraries can be developed which are either

directly linkable into new applications (i.e., executable run-time libraries) or portable via a simple

process of re-compiling or cross-compiling the software.

3.7.2. Compatibility and Inter-Operability

Hardware and interface guidelines are required to insure that hardware and interface components

(card cages, cards, cables, connectors, power systems, cooling systems, network interfaces,

peripheral device interfaces, etc.) are compatible and inter-operable even when manufactured by

different manufacturers.

3.8. Ease of Use

ARTICS products must be "user friendly". Development environment products and human

interface products should make maximum use of menu driven software and on-line documentation.

ARTICS components must be well documented. Applications developers should have easy access

to product documentation, consultation services and training.

3.9. Cost Effectiveness

ARTICS products should be developed as product lines offering base-line functionality at a cost- effective price and options, upgrades, or more sophisticated products at additional cost. This

would allow the application designer to match the control system functionality and user friendliness

to the target cost of the control system.

3.10. Development Environment

Users must be supported by a comprehensive set of ARTICS compliant development environment

products. Some of the products required would include software development workstations,

graphics workstations, micro-processor development systems, local area networks, compilers,

cross-compilers, artificial intelligence shells and interpreters, CASE tools, software libraries for

sensory processing, world modeling and task decomposition, an ARTICS control system shell

program, database management software, real-time operating systems, project management tools,

documentation tools, CAD/CAM tools and database translators. Real-time software development

tools will also be needed which can calculate execution time budgets for source code modules

under development as well as the reserve computing capacity of each CPU being used in the target

control system application.

3.11. Simulation and Animation

ARTICS application developers will require a comprehensive set of simulation and animation tools. Guidelines will be required to make simulation and animation tool sets direcdy compatible with the

control system development environment tools. Developers will need the ability to develop

applications using simulation tools first and then incrementally substituting target control system

components and applications software as they are developed. Powerful debug tools will be

14
required including the ability to run simulations in real-time, slower than real-time and faster than

real-time. Tools will also be required to allow a developer to selectively log and display or print

simulation events and the data and control variables associated with each event. Even more

sophisticated tools such as the DARPA SIMNET will be required in order to develop effective

tactics for military combat robotics. Such tools must allow the developer to stage scenarios in order

to evaluate the performance of an intelligent control system against human opponents and/or

multiple simulated manned or unmanned opponents. Animation tools will be required to allow

developers to visualize the results of intelligent control system behaviors as they are being

developed in software and before the mechanical development of the machine is completed.

Animation tools will also allow off-line development of new control system software after an

intelligent machine is in service.

4. APPROACH

To implement the ARTICS concept a consensus must be achieved in several areas of the common

control system architecture. Ideally there would be early agreement upon a conceptual framework

for the development of intelligent machine control systems. Such a conceptual framework would

provide developers with a common design philosophy to guide the development of new robotic

applications and control system products. There are a number of researchers currently working in

the field of control architectures and certainly this work should not only be continued but it should

be pursued even more aggressively. A number of control architectures should be considered and

evaluated against some set of agreed upon common control system requirements and finally a common conceptual architecture must be derived from the results of the process. More than likely

such an architecture would include the ideas of a number of researchers as well as strong input

from the user community. The following is a list of recent research in this area:

Action Networks [Ni 89]

Autonomous Land Vehicle (ALV) [Lo 86]

Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) [Si 83, Al 81]

Control in Operational Space of a Manipulator-with-Obstacles System (COSMOS)

[Kh 87]

communications Database with GEometric Reasoning (COEXjER) [Sh 86]

Field Materiel-Handling Robot (FMR) [Mc 86]

Generic Vehicle Autonomy (GVA) [Gr 88]

Hearsay H [Le 75]

Hierarchical Control [Sk 89, Sk 87, Ko 88, Ko 88]

Hierarchical Real-time Control System (RCS) [Ba 84, Al 81]

15
Intelligent Control [Sa 85]

Intelligent Task Automation (UA) [Bl 88]

Manufacturing Automation System/Controller (MAS/C) [Ho 88]

Multiple Autonomous Undersea Vehicles (MAUV) [Al 88]

NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model for Telerobot Control System Architecture

(NASREM) [Al 89]

Pilot's Associate [Sm 87]

Robot Control "C" Library (RCCL) [Ha 86]

Robot Schemas [Ly 89]

Soar: Architecture for General Intelligence [La 86]

Subsumption Architecture [Br 86]

Task Control Architecture (TCA) [Si 89]

Tech-based Enhancement for Autonomous Machines (TEAM) [Sz 88]

University of New Hampshire (UNH) Time Hierarchical Architecture [Ja 88]

The first version of ARTICS should incorporate generic real-time control systems concepts

developed in a number of industry, academic, DARPA, Air Force, Navy, Army, and NIST

research programs, including the following projects: Intelligent Task Automation, Autonomous

Land Vehicle, Pilot's Associate, Multiple Autonomous Undersea Vehicles, NASA space station

Flight Telerobotic Servicer, Field Materiel-Handling Robot, TEAM, and Automated Manufacturing

Research FaciUty.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been conducting collaborative

research with industry, academic and other government partners in the generic concepts of

hierarchical real-time control for a number of years. This work has resulted in the development of

the NIST Hierarchical Real-Time Control System (RCS) which we offer as a candidate conceptual

architecture for consideration by an ARTICS guideline development body [Al 89, Al 88, Ba 84].

RCS has been under development in the NIST Automated Manufacturing Research Facility

(AMRF) [Si 83, Al 81] since 1980 and in various mobile intelligent robotics projects sponsored by

DoD agencies and NASA since 1985. We believe RCS is an excellent "strawman" to serve as a

catalyst for beginning the ARTICS concept dialogue.

Consensus must also be reached on several other common architecture components. These include

the specifications of control systems hardware components such as: controller boards, backplanes,

16
connectors, cables, human interface devices, power systems, sensors, other peripheral devices and

communications networks. Software component specifications will be needed for: real-time

operating systems, data-base management systems, artificial intelligence technologies, software

languages, communications software and software libraries. In addition specifications for

communications, timing synchronization and control between modules at all levels of the system in

the form of interface protocols are required for: inter-process communication, backplane

communication, local area network communication, communication with humans and remote

network communications.

There are a number of government efforts under way that should be factored into the process of

defining an initial set of common architecture components. Some of these include:

The NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FTPS)

The NIST Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP)

The Navy's Next Generation Computer Resources (NGCR) program

The Air Force's Next Generation Controller (NGC) program

The Army's Standard Army Vetronic Architecture (SA\A.) program

In addition there is a Department of Energy interest in establishing guidelines for robotic systems

needed in their Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, the U.S. Bureau of

Mines Pittsburgh Research Center is conducting research in automation systems for coal mining

and there are a number of DARPA programs (past, present and on-going) which are producing

relevant technologies.

In Appendix A we have attempted to compile a "strawman" list of potential ARTICS components.

This list is intended to serve as a catalyst or a point of departure to begin the ARTICS dialogue. It is not our intent to dictate a predetermined set of arbitrary standards. The reader is invited to review

Appendix A and to offer his or her own insights as to the proper make-up of a family of ARTICS

components.

5 . REFERENCE MODEL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

5.1. Guideline Evolution Process

ARTICS must be able to evolve as technological progress is made. It will be important to create an

organizational structure that can coordinate the process of evaluating change and update proposals

and a process for achieving consensus on the release of new versions of the ARTICS guidelines.

Such an organization will need a steering committee made up of leading experts in the field of

robotics, intelligent machines and automation from industry, academia and government.

17
5.2. Research Support

A strong well funded research program wiU be needed to support the development and evolution of

ARTICS guidelines. Such a program could be coordinated and administered through NIST with

funding support from either a voluntary organization such as an industry consortium, through

government sponsorship or both. The program administrator would use the funding to support

grants and research contracts to industry, academia and government laboratories in order to develop

and demonstrate innovative new approaches to real-time intelligent machine control systems

technology which could lead to marketable improvements in ARTICS compliant products.

5.3. Coordination Structure

An ARTICS development effort could take the form of a voluntary organization much like the

Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES)/Product Data Exchange Specification (PDES)

organization [Ig 89] chaired by NIST. Alternatively the reference model could be developed by a major user of the technology such as the Department of Defense in the form of a military

specification (MILSPEC). In either case working groups will be needed to steer the ARTICS

development and to document and distribute the results. Once an initial set of ARTICS guidelines

has been agreed to it can be submitted to one or more national or international standards

organizations as a proposed standard (e.g., ANSI, EIA, lEC, IEEE, ISO, RIA, etc.).

5.4.. Testing and Validation

An ARTICS testbed facility will be needed to serve as a focal point for research and testing. The

facility would provide researchers and users a place where new ideas can be pursued, where bench

mark tests can be developed and where product vaUdation can be performed to certify comphance

with the established ARTICS reference model. The NIST Robot Systems Division is planning to develop and maintain a facility for intelligent machine systems research beginning in 1991 as a

national resource. We believe this facility will be ideally suited to also serve as a ARTICS testbed.

5.5. Community Input

The NIST Robot Systems Division conducted a limited inquiry as a two-phase Delphi on February

10, 1989 and May 30, 1989 [Ro 89] with the following summary results:

Respondents to the Standard Architecture for Real-time Intelligent Control System

(SARTICS) Enquiry:

Phase I Phase II Number Responding

Government

35

17

23

13

Industry

Academia

12

6

6

4

Ave years experience 9 7

18
Response:

Is there a need for SARTICS ? Phase I 32 yes 1 no 2 don't know

Phase II 19 yes 1 no 2 don't know

Do you wish to be involved in the development of SARTICS ? Phase I 25 yes 1 no 9 don't know

Phase II 16 yes 2 no 5 don't know

How would you rate the importance of SARTICS ? Scale: = not important

5 = very important

Phase I Moderately to Very Important (mean 3.6)

Phase II Moderately to Very Important (mean 3.5)

Respondent apphcation areas: Air, land, sea, space, manufacturing, nuclear, mining

This preliminary survey appears to indicate a considerable interest in the ARTICS development

concept. We believe the next step is to hold a series of workshops on ARTICS to provide a forum

for community discussion and to test the potential for community participation in an ARTICS

development effort.

6. CLOSING COMMENTS

Readers of this paper are invited to contact the authors with comments, criticisms, insights or

suggestions conceming the ARTICS concept presented here. We would also be interested in your

ideas with regard to establishing mechanisms to implement ARTICS and to organize an ARTICS

reference model development body. Correspondence should be addressed as follows:

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Dr. James S. Albus

Chief, Robot Systems Division

Center for Manufacturing Engineering

Bldg. 220, Room B 124

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

301-975-3418 FAX# 301-990-9688 FTS# 879-3418

Reference to specific brands, equipment, or trade names in this document is made to facilitate

understanding and does not imply endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and

Technology.

19

7. REFERENCES

[Al 89] J.S. Albus, H.G. McCain, and R. Luniia, "NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model

for Telerobot Control System Architecture (NASREM)," NIST (formerly NBS)

Technical Note 1235, April 1989 Edition.

[Al 88] J.S. Albus, "System Description and Design Architecture for Multiple Autonomous

Undersea Vehicles Project," NIST Technical Note 1251, September 1988.

[Al 81] J.S. Albus, "Brains, Behavior and Robotics," BYTE/McGraw-Hill, Petersborough,

NH, 1981.

[Ba 84] A.J. Barbera, J.S. Albus, M.L. Fitzgerald, and L.S. Haynes, "RCS: The NBS RealTime Control System," Robots 8 Conference and Exposition, Detroit, MI, June

1984.

[Bl 88] R. Blair, "Intelligent Task Automation Interim Technical Report," Report No. II-6,

Honeywell Corporate Systems, Golden Valley, MN, August 1988.

[Br 86] R.A. Brooks, "A Robust Layered Control System For A Mobile Robot," IEEE

Journal of Robotics and Automation, Vol. RA-2, No. 3, March 1986.

[Gr 88] M.D. Grover, et. al., "An Autonomous Undersea Vehicle Software Testbed,"

Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Technical Symposium of the Association for

Unmanned Vehicle Systems, San Diego, CA, June 6-8, 1988.

[Ha 86] V Hayward, R.P. Hayward, "Robot Manipulator Control Under Unix RCCL: A

Robot Control "C" Library," International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 5, No.

4, Winter 1986.

[Ho 88] HoneyweU Inc., "MAS/C System Overview," MA70- 100, Release C, Honeywell

Inc., Phoenix, AZ, May 1988.

[Ig 89] "Welcome to IGES/PDES, Newcomer Material," July 1989, available through the

Chairman, IGES/PDES, NIST, Bldg. 220, Room A150, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899.

[Ja 88] J. Jalbert, "EAVE m Untethered AUV Submersible," Proceedings of the Fifteenth

Annual Technical Symposium of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems,

San Diego, CA, June 6-8, 1988.

[Kh 87] O. Khatib, "A Unified Approach for Motion and Force Control of Robot

Manipulators: The Operational Space Formulation," IEEE Journal of Robotics and

Automation, Vol. RA-3, No. 1, February 1987.

21
[Ko 88] W. Kohn, T. Skillman, "Hierarchical Control for Autonomous Space Robots,"

Proceedings of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference,

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aug 15-17, 1988.

[Ko 88] W. Kohn, "Declarative Theory for Relational Controllers," Proceedings of the IEEE

Control Decision Conference, Austin, Texas, Dec 7-9, 1988.

[La 86] J. E. Laird, A. Newell, P. S. Rosenbloom, "Soar: An Architecture for General

Intelligence," Carnegie-Mellon University paper CMU-CS-86-171, December 1986.

[Le 75] VR. Lesser, et. al. "Organization of the Hearsay II Speech Understanding System,"

IEEE Trans, on ASSP, Vol. 21, No.l, 1975, p. 11.

[Ly 89] D. M. Lyons, M. A. Arbib, "A Formal Model of Computation for Sensory-Based

Robotics," IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 5, No. 3,

June 1989.

[Lo 86] J. Lowerie, et. al. "Autonomous Land Vehicle," ETL- 0413 Martin Marietta Denver

Aerospace, Denver, Co, July 1986.

[Mc 86] H. G. McCain, et. al. "A Hierarchically Controlled Autonomous Robot for Heavy

Payload MiUtary Field Applications," Proceedings of the Intemational Conference on

Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,

December 8-1 1,1986.

[Ni 89] N. Nilsson, "Action Networks," Proceedings from the Rochester Planning

Workshop: From Formal Systems to Practical Systems, J. Tenenberg, et al. (eds.).

University of Rochester, New York, 1989.

[Ro 89] Robotic Technology Incorporated, "Standard Architecture for Real-Time Control

Systems (SARTICS), Final Report," NIST Contract No. 43NANB909769, dated 21

Nov. 1988, Submitted to NIST Robot Systems Division, Gaithersburg, MD,

3 July 1989.

[Sa 85] G.N. Saridis, "Foundations of the Theory of Intelligent Controls," IEEE Workshop

on Intelhgent Control, Troy, August 1985, p. 23.

[Sh 86] S.A. Shafer, et. al. "An Architecture for Sensor Fusion in a Mobile Robot,"

Proceedings of the IEEE Intemational Conference on Robotics and Automation, San

Francisco, CA, April 7-10, 1986, pp. 2002-2010.

[Sk 89] T. L. Skillman, K. Hopping, "Dynamic Composition and Execution of Behaviors in a Hierarchical Control System," SPIE Mobile Robotics IV, Philadelphia,

Nov 7- 8, 1989.

22
[Sk 87] T. L. Skillman, W. Kohn, et al. "Blackboard Based Hierarchical Intelligent Control

System," Proceedings of the AIAA Conference on Computers in Aerospace VI,

Wakefield, MA, Oct 7-9, 1987.

[Si 89] R. Simmons, T. Mitchell, "A Task Control Architecture for Mobile Robots,"

Computer Sciences Dept., Camegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA, AAAI '89 Spring

Symposium, Robotic Navigation, 1989.

[Si 83] J. A. Simpson, R.J. Hocken, and J.S. Albus, "The Automated Manufacturing

Research Facihty of the National Bureau of Standards," Journal of Manufacturing

Systems, Vol.1, No. 1, pg. 17, 1983.

[Sm 87] D. Smith, M. Broadwell, "Plan Coordination in Support of Expert Systems

Integration", Proceedings of the Knowledge-Based Planning Workshop, Austin, TX,

December 8-10, 1987.

[Sz 88] S. Szabo, H. A. Scott, R. D. Kilmer, "Control System Architecture for the TEAM

Program," Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Robotics and

Manufacturing Research, Education and Applications, Albuquerque, NM,

November 16-18, 1988.

23

APPENDIX A.

LIST OF POTENTIAL REFERENCE MODEL COMPONENTS

An initial set of potential reference model components is presented here to elicit comment and begin

the dialogue, not to mandate a predetermined set of arbitrary standards. The suggested

components might include the following:

• Target Controller Hardware

- a standard embedded system backplane and bus architecture (e.g., VME, Multi-bus,

NuBus)

- a set of standard computer bus compatibility options - a standard set of plug-in computer

boards

. high, medium and standard speed CPUs (e.g.. Motorola 68020, 68030, Intel 8086,

286, 386)

. low power CPUs (i.e., CMOS)

.CPU for symbolic processing

. computer RAM memory boards and low power RAM (e.g., CMOS)

. networking boards (i.e., Ethernet)

. I/O communications boards (RS-232, IEEE 488, printer I/F, plotter I/F, etc.)

. image warping processor board

. synchro to digital, resolver to digital, D/S and D/R converters

- a set of mass storage peripherals (e.g., Winchester disc, optical disc, bubble memory,

tape, etc.)

- a set of general purpose I/O devices

- a set of standard connectors and cables

- a very low power, standby controller board

- a self powered time standard (e.g., a battery powered clock board)

- a watchdog timer

- power supplies, cooling devices, etc.

- a set of data recorders (e.g., VHS video recorder, audio recorder, etc.)

- two-way communications devices (e.g., RF, acoustic, microwave, satellite, etc.) • Target Controller Run-Time Software

- a hierarchical real-time control system shell program

- a standard real-time operating system (e.g., Condor, pSOS, VRTX)

- a standard distributed object oriented database management system

- an extendible run-time library of software modules for:

. path planning

. obstacle avoidance

. navigation

. piloting

. object representation and recognition

. map representation and multi-level topography (i.e., on-land, underwater, under

ice, underground, etc.)

. task representation and scheduling

25
. resource representation and management

. two-way remote communications

. remote command and control/teleoperation

. image processing

. acoustic signal processing

. tactile sensor processing

. proximity data processing

. range data processing

. temperature sensing

. altitude and depth data

. torque data

. force data

Data Formats and Interface Protocol Definitions for Handling General Purpose Sensors

- position sensors (INS, GPS, Loran, Omega, etc.)

- attitude sensors (roll, pitch, yaw, etc.)

- direction sensors (compass)

- speed sensors

- acceleration sensors

- gyro stabilized video cameras

- ftilly automatic still camera

- acoustic sensors

- range sensors (laser, radar, sonar, etc.)

- altitude and depth sensors

- tactile sensors

- proximity sensors

- temperature sensors

- pressure sensors

- force sensors

- torque sensors

- stress sensors

- radiation sensors

- environmental medium sensors (air, water, space, etc.)

Data Formats and Interface Protocol Definitions for Handling General Purpose Human

Interface Devices used for Monitoring, Command and Control

- alphanumeric displays (e.g., CRTs)

- graphics displays

- video displays

- audio reproduction

- voice command interpreter

- mouse, joy-stick, ball tabs, light-pens, keyboards, etc.

- tactile, vibration, acceleration simulator interface

- head mounted 3D displays, foveal/peripheral displays, heads-up displays, eye tracking

systems

26
• Software Development Environment

- an Ethernet network of computer workstations with interfaces for: SUN, MicroVAX,

Macintosh, PCs, NeXT, LISP machines. Butterfly, WARP, Connection Machine, IRIS,

E&S, etc.

- symbolic processing workstations (e.g., Prolog)

- high speed 3D graphics workstations

- a shared mass storage system / network server

- a set of shared general purpose peripherals (e.g., laser printers, plotters, flying spot

scanner, etc.)

- a software development system for the target system

- a development environment operating system (e.g., Mach, UNIX)

- CASE tools (e.g., CARDtools, STATEMATE, TEAMWORK, etc.)

- task decomposition tools to aid in defining task precedence, task durations, concurrency,

resource requirements and task data exchange formats

- a set of compiler languages (e.g., ADA, C++, FORTRAN etc.)

- a set of symbolic processing shell programs and languages (Common LISP, PROLOG,

etc.)

- a standard object oriented database management system

- a standard map and topological information database management system

- target system emulators and cross compilers

- software debugging tools

- a project management tool

- a document processing tool

- IGES translator

- PDES translator

- CAD/CAM tools (e.g., PADL, GEOMOD, CV, ALPHA2, SILMA, CADDAM, CATIA,

AUTOCAD, etc.) • Simulation

- SIMNET simulation interface

- laboratory simulation software tools (3D animation)

27

NIST-114A

(REV. 3-89) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET

PUBLICATION OR REPORT NUMBER

NIST/TM-1277

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER

PUBUCATION DATE April 1990

TITLE AND SUBTITLE Concept for a Reference Model Architecture for Real-Time Intelligent Control Systems (ARTICS)

AUTHOR(S) ^ , ^ J . James Albus, Richard Quintero, Ronald Lumia, Martin Herman, Roger Kilmer, Kenneth Goodwin

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION (IF JOINT OR OTHER THAN NIST, SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

GAITHERSBURQ, MD 20899

7. CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER

8. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED

Final

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, STATE, ZIP)

Same as item #6

0. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

DOCUMENT DESCRIBES A COMPUTER PROGRAM; SF-185, FIPS SOFTWARE SUMMARY, IS ATTACHED.

1. ABSTRACT (A 200-WORD OR LESS FACTUAL SUMMARY OF MOST SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION. IF DOCUMENT INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT BIBLIOGRAPHY OR

UTERATURE SURVEY, MENTION IT HERE.) , , ... i. j ^ ^ This paper presents a concept for the development of a reference model open-system architectur

for real-time, sensory Interactive, intelligent machine systems. Central to this notion is a desire to accelerate technological development, technology transfer and commercialization of

a world class control system products in the field of robotics, intelligent machines and

automation. A plan is outlined whereby a reference model Architecture for Real-Time Intelli - gent Control Systems (ARTICS) can be defined through the cooperative efforts of industry,

academia and government. As envisioned ARTICS would be a series of evolving guidelines

specifying an infrastructure of hardware components, software components, interfaces,

communications protocols and applications development tools. An ARTICS reference model would

make it possible for industry to develop and market a diverse line of control system component

which could be interchangeable and realizable on many different vendors' Intelligent

machine systems platforms.

KEY WORDS (6 TO 12 ENTRIES; ALPHABETICAL ORDER; CAPITALIZE ONLY PROPER NAMES; AND SEPARATE KEY WORDS BY SEMICOLONS)

ARTICS, automation, control systems, intelligent machines, real-time control, reference model

control architecture, robotics

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FOR OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTION. DO NOT RELEASE TO NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE (NTIS). X

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