A Visual Programming Approach for Co-designed Robots

Robotica ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Andrés S. Vázquez ◽  
Tomás Calvo ◽  
Raúl Fernández ◽  
Francisco Ramos

SUMMARY This paper proposes an approach for the high-level programming of co-designed robots that reduces programming complexity. Particularly, the work presented focuses on the programming framework of an intelligent system, based on the IEEE Standard Ontologies for Robotics and Automation, which allows users the automatic design of robots and the automatic implementation of controllers in the Robot Operating System (ROS). In our approach, the co-designed robot functionalities are automatically translated into visual programming blocks allowing non-expert users an easy robot programming by means of a visual programming language. Several robot configurations and three case studies are provided as a proof of concept. The validation, in terms of usability, of the framework has been carried out with inexperienced users showing promising results.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
William Briscoe

<p><b>In the context of urban design, generative design has been examined as a tool for expansion or optimisation of existing urban networks. This optimisation uses information such as geometry of the existing urban fabric and available space for expansion. However, very little research exists into designing around terrain factors, instead usually opting to consider difficult terrain as simply a boundary for network expansion. </b></p> <p>This research seeks to answer the question ‘How can generative design improve the way urban networks are designed in complex terrain?’ It does this by creating a tool that can interpret any terrain information, and with simple designer input, can create conceptual urban schemes in complex terrain. </p> <p>The tool is developed using visual programming language Grasshopper, an extension for the Rhinoceros3D modelling software. Its development and proof-of-concept scheme are executed in Wellington, New Zealand. The city is one uniquely situated between harbour and steep hills, leading to several typologies of hillside urban schemes to use as precedent and comparison with the tool’s outputs. The Wellington City Council Urban Growth Plan anticipates an increase of 80,000 people in the next 30 years, and the city requires additional areas to house the growing population. </p> <p>Through a discussion of urban theory and existing generative design exemplars, the thesis settles on an urban grid-based logic for the tool. The thesis then records the process of designing the tool, using a Wellington site as a base for development. </p> <p>Evaluation of the tool is undertaken using space syntax theory as a key framework, as well as qualitative comparisons with existing hill suburbs in Wellington.</p>



2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (111) ◽  
pp. 20150580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Grun ◽  
Justin Werfel ◽  
David Yu Zhang ◽  
Peng Yin

Dynamic DNA nanotechnology provides a promising avenue for implementing sophisticated assembly processes, mechanical behaviours, sensing and computation at the nanoscale. However, design of these systems is complex and error-prone, because the need to control the kinetic pathway of a system greatly increases the number of design constraints and possible failure modes for the system. Previous tools have automated some parts of the design workflow, but an integrated solution is lacking. Here, we present software implementing a three ‘tier’ design process: a high-level visual programming language is used to describe systems, a molecular compiler builds a DNA implementation and nucleotide sequences are generated and optimized. Additionally, our software includes tools for analysing and ‘debugging’ the designs in silico , and for importing/exporting designs to other commonly used software systems. The software we present is built on many existing pieces of software, but is integrated into a single package—accessible using a Web-based interface at http://molecular-systems.net/workbench. We hope that the deep integration between tools and the flexibility of this design process will lead to better experimental results, fewer experimental design iterations and the development of more complex DNA nanosystems.



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
William Briscoe

<p><b>In the context of urban design, generative design has been examined as a tool for expansion or optimisation of existing urban networks. This optimisation uses information such as geometry of the existing urban fabric and available space for expansion. However, very little research exists into designing around terrain factors, instead usually opting to consider difficult terrain as simply a boundary for network expansion. </b></p> <p>This research seeks to answer the question ‘How can generative design improve the way urban networks are designed in complex terrain?’ It does this by creating a tool that can interpret any terrain information, and with simple designer input, can create conceptual urban schemes in complex terrain. </p> <p>The tool is developed using visual programming language Grasshopper, an extension for the Rhinoceros3D modelling software. Its development and proof-of-concept scheme are executed in Wellington, New Zealand. The city is one uniquely situated between harbour and steep hills, leading to several typologies of hillside urban schemes to use as precedent and comparison with the tool’s outputs. The Wellington City Council Urban Growth Plan anticipates an increase of 80,000 people in the next 30 years, and the city requires additional areas to house the growing population. </p> <p>Through a discussion of urban theory and existing generative design exemplars, the thesis settles on an urban grid-based logic for the tool. The thesis then records the process of designing the tool, using a Wellington site as a base for development. </p> <p>Evaluation of the tool is undertaken using space syntax theory as a key framework, as well as qualitative comparisons with existing hill suburbs in Wellington.</p>







2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1073
Author(s):  
Kwanghee Jung ◽  
Vinh T. Nguyen ◽  
Jaehoon Lee

Traditional in-app virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) applications pose a challenge of reaching users due to their dependency on operating systems (Android, iOS). Besides, it is difficult for general users to create their own VR/AR applications and foster their creative ideas without advanced programming skills. This paper addresses these issues by proposing an interactive extended reality toolkit, named BlocklyXR. The objective of this research is to provide general users with a visual programming environment to build an extended reality application for digital storytelling. The contextual design was generated from real-world map data retrieved from Mapbox GL. ThreeJS was used for setting up, rendering 3D environments, and controlling animations. A block-based programming approach was adapted to let users design their own story. The capability of BlocklyXR was illustrated with a use case where users were able to replicate the existing PalmitoAR utilizing the block-based authoring toolkit with fewer efforts in programming. The technology acceptance model was used to evaluate the adoption and use of the interactive extended reality toolkit. The findings showed that visual design and task technology fit had significantly positive effects on user motivation factors (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness). In turn, perceived usefulness had statistically significant and positive effects on intention to use, while there was no significant impact of perceived ease of use on intention to use. Study implications and future research directions are discussed.





2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (37) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Travieso Torres ◽  
Daniel Galdámez González ◽  
Roberto Rodríguez Travieso ◽  
Arturo Rodríguez García

Nuestra principal contribución es la aplicación del lenguaje de programación visual (VPL, de sus siglas en inglés “Visual Programming Language”) y los dispositivos móviles (MD, de sus siglas en inglés “Mobile Devices”) para el aprendizaje de los sistemas de control, lo cual mejoró la comprensión de estudiantes regulares considerados dentro de un diseño cuasiexperimental. El empleo de un ambiente de enseñanza que emplea VPL y MD para abordar los sistemas de control de procesos fue la clave para resolver las dificultades de aprendizaje que tenían el estudiante con el método de enseñanza tradicional, y que perduraban a pesar de ya que se estaba considerando la alineación constructiva entre instrucción, aprendizaje y evaluación, actividades auténticas y un enfoque de aprendizaje basado en el diseño. Los elementos gráficos utilizados por VPL, tomados de una biblioteca hecha de bloques reutilizables, con diferentes formas y colores, facilitan la comprensión de los sistemas de control de procesos. También VPL muestra todo el sistema de control de procesos de un vistazo a través de los diferentes MD utilizados, que fueron computadoras portátiles, tabletas y teléfonos inteligentes. Ayudó que todos estos MD son bien conocidos y fáciles de usar para los estudiantes. La evaluación comparativa del rendimiento de aprendizaje de los estudiantes, con y sin el uso de VPL y MD, mostró la efectividad del rediseño en el modo de enseñanza. Se facilitó el aprendizaje de los sistemas de control de procesos, reduciendo las dificultades de la enseñanza tradicional y mejorando la comprensión de los estudiantes. Además, la autoeficacia de los estudiantes se vio afectada positivamente.



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