1st International ICST Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques for Communications, Networks and Systems

Research Article

Real-time emulation of networked robot systems

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/ICST.SIMUTOOLS2008.2946,
        author={Razvan Beuran and Junya Nakata and Takashi Okada and Yasuo Tan and Yoich Shinoda},
        title={Real-time emulation of networked robot systems},
        proceedings={1st International ICST Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques for Communications, Networks and Systems},
        publisher={ICST},
        proceedings_a={SIMUTOOLS},
        year={2010},
        month={5},
        keywords={Real-time system emulation networked robots WLAN emulation large-scale testbed.},
        doi={10.4108/ICST.SIMUTOOLS2008.2946}
    }
    
  • Razvan Beuran
    Junya Nakata
    Takashi Okada
    Yasuo Tan
    Yoich Shinoda
    Year: 2010
    Real-time emulation of networked robot systems
    SIMUTOOLS
    ICST
    DOI: 10.4108/ICST.SIMUTOOLS2008.2946
Razvan Beuran1,*, Junya Nakata1,*, Takashi Okada2,*, Yasuo Tan1,*, Yoich Shinoda1,*
  • 1: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Hokuriku Research Center Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
  • 2: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Hokuriku Research Center
*Contact email: razvan@nict.go.jp, jnakata@nict.go.jp, tk-okada@jaist.ac.jp, ytan@jaist.ac.jp, shinoda@jaist.ac.jp

Abstract

In this paper we present a methodology for the evaluation of networked systems communicating using WLAN technology. We show a case study of goal-oriented cooperating robots, for which our approach is particularly useful. Developing robots is expensive; hence emulation can be employed in the first part of the development cycle to study robot software implementations in realistic conditions at a reduced cost. Our methodology is based on the emulation of both the robots and the WLAN communication technology. The robots we consider cooperate in order to efficiently reach a destination while avoiding collisions with obstacles and other robots. The WLAN communication emulation engine QOMET is deployed in the emulated robots to recreate network conditions similar to those occurring in a real WLAN environment. The experiments are run on a large-scale network experiment environment, StarBED, using the support software RUNE. Currently, over one hundred emulated robots can be run simultaneously during an experiment on our testbed.