# Enabling End-Users in Designing and Executing of Complex, Collaborative Robotic Processes
## 6 Conclusions  
In the research project ROBxTASK, the partners developed a platform to support end-users in designing and executing robotic processes. Using the platform, multiple user groups work together. Robotic engineers can register (robotic) devices including their skills by using appropriate JSON files. Task designers can use these skills in the \"Google Blockly\"-based, graphical task design editor to create workflows across multiple robotic agents. And robot co-workers can download and execute the workflow code in a local environment with real robots or digital twins. The platform's operational capability was evaluated by end users based on healthcare and industrial use cases. In workshops MIRO boards proved to be useful to identify skills at the right level of abstraction to be used by task designers. These skills where then applied to use cases in the industrial and healthcare domain. The project used the same skills in different domains and implemented them through different robotic devices to demonstrate the usability of the skills across domains and devices. In ROBxTASK we have created the three roles described above that collaborate to enable end users without robotic expertise to focus on their tasks, while being able to get support from robotic engineers. Application specific workflows are used to integrate heterogeneous systems (including robots). Individual tasks in these workflows are realized by skills, implemented in the technical systems. In order to develop more robust, portable and adaptable tasks, we recommend determining the appropriate skills based on more than just the obvious robotic or device skills. For example, using \"Environmental skills\" according to our \"Virtual Storage\" concept proposed in Section 3.2.2, can help to develop more stable grasping/lying programs. In the project three user studies were carried out. The user studies showed that although the platform is relatively easy to use, a training concept for end users is necessary. Tasks that focus on an action that requires only a few blocks, such as exchanging messages, grabbing an object, or moving to a position, were considered easy to perform but design of a full process is considered more challenging. However, participants generally indicated that they could imagine using such a platform, so the platform was considered interesting. Overall, the ROBxTASK platform is able to help organisations to integrate robotic systems along a workflow. Through features like sharing skills and workflows the platform enables knowledge exchange even across multiple organizations. The three user roles that have been created for ROBxTASK allow that individuals focus with their expertise on certain tasks, where, most importantly, end users can work in their domain and make use of robots without much training. Also the robotic programmer can focus on implementing skills, without the need to understand in detail the application domain(s). Only the role of the process designer needs knowledge of both worlds. However, that role receives the most support from the implemented tools. The graphical process editor allows to stay on a higher level of abstraction with respect to robotic know-how. The ability to provide simulations for end-user testing proved to be a great added value for end users. However, developing individual simulation environments for each robot environment is time consuming. To this end, some ideas have already been discussed by the project participants to possibly create suitable environments more automatically in a future follow-up project. Further research has to be taken especially when e.g., advanced error handling shall be integrated. Here, ease of use for task designers while building robust robotic workflows can be a challenge. In the next steps of the project, further studies will be conducted to evaluate the platform with end users in real-world environments. Conceptualization, H.Z., M.S.T., T.B. and G.W. ; methodology, H.Z., M.S.T., G.W., T.B., N.S., M.P., G.S., F.S., A.S. and C.N. ; software, M.S.T., M.P., C.N., D.S.