10798770
Hierarchical Hybrid Modeling of Embedded Systems
This paper describes the modeling language CHARON for modular design of interacting hybrid systems. The language allows specification of architectural as well as behavioral hierarchy, and discrete as well as continuous activities. The modular structure of the language is not merely syntactic, but is exploited by analysis tools, and is supported by a formal semantics with an accompanying compositional theory of refinement. We illustrate the benefits of CHARON in design of embedded control software using examples from automated highways concerning vehicle coordination.
7023425
A Paradigm for Dynamic Coordination of Multiple Robots
In this paper, we present a paradigm for coordinating multiple robots in the execution of cooperative tasks. The basic idea in the paper is to assign to each robot in the team, a role that determines its actions during the cooperation. The robots dynamically assume and exchange roles in a synchronized manner in order to perform the task successfully, adapting to unexpected events in the environment. We model this mechanism using a hybrid systems framework and apply it in different cooperative tasks: cooperative manipulation and cooperative search and transportation. Simulations and real experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed paradigm are presented.
42239647
Velocity control of mobile manipulators
When a serial-chain manipulator is mounted on a mobile base, the end-effector motion must be decomposed into the motion of the base and the motion of the manipulator. The determination of actuator rates for a given end-effector motion is typically underconstrained. By associating with each joint, a compliance function, local as well as global solutions for the inverse kinematics of kinematically redundant systems can be obtained. The rate decomposition problem is formulated using screw theory. Analytical expressions are obtained for the local solution for perfectly general systems, including those with nonholonomic constraints. Global integral solutions are also obtained using this framework. Nonholonomic systems require that additional constraints be imposed to remove the nonholonomy in the system. The basic goal of allocating the end-effector motion between the manipulator and its mobile base according to user-prescribed preferences is demonstrated using computer simulations and experiments.<<ETX>>
5542960
Metrics for analysis and optimization of grasps and fixtures
We develop two quality measures for the analysis and optimization of grasps and fixtures. The first metric is a measure of stability and is obtained by analyzing the effect of small perturbations in the position of the grasped object or small disturbance forces on the grasped object The second metric is a measure of robustness to errors in the positions of the fixture elements. In addition, we explore the effect that the stiffness of the fixture elements has on these two quality measures and propose a design optimization approach to maximize stability and robustness to errors.
12800836
Computational Techniques for Analysis of Genetic Network Dynamics
In this paper we propose modeling and analysis techniques for genetic networks that provide biologists with insight into the dynamics of such systems. Central to our modeling approach is the framework of hybrid systems and our analysis tools are derived from formal analysis of such systems. Given a set of states characterizing a property of biological interest P , we present the Multi-Affine Rectangular Partition (MARP) algorithm for the construction of a set of infeasible states I that will never reach P and the Rapidly Exploring Random Forest of Trees (RRFT) algorithm for the construction of a set of feasible states F that will reach P. These techniques are scalable to high dimensions and can incorporate uncertainty (partial knowledge of kinetic parameters and state uncertainty).We apply these methods to understand the genetic interactions involved in the phenomenon of luminescence production in the marine bacterium V. fischeri.
15738427
A potential field based approach to multi-robot manipulation
We describe a framework for controlling and coordinating a group of robots for cooperative manipulation tasks. The framework enables a decentralized approach to planning and control. It allows the robots to approach the object, organize themselves into a formation that will trap the object, and then transport the object to the desired destination. Our controllers and planners are derived from simple potential fields and the hierarchical composition of potential fields. We show how these potential field based controllers and planners benefit complex group interactions, specifically for manipulating and transporting objects in the plane. Theoretically, we show how we can derive results on formation stability with potential field based controllers in many cases. Simulation results demonstrate successful application to a wide range of examples without showing sensitivity to parameters. Because the framework is decentralized at both trajectory generation level and the estimation and control agent level, our framework can potentially scale to groups of tens and hundreds of robots.
6168494
Approximation algorithms for scheduling on multiple machines
We develop a single rounding algorithm for scheduling on unrelated parallel machines; this algorithm works well with the known linear programming, quadratic programming, and convex programming-relaxations for scheduling to minimize completion time, makespan, and other well-studied objective functions. We obtain the following applications for the general setting of unrelated parallel machines: (i) a bicriteria algorithm for a schedule whose weighted completion-time and makespan simultaneously exhibit the current-best individual approximations for these criteria (3/2 and 2, respectively); (ii) better-than-two approximation guarantees for scheduling under the L/sub p/ norm for all 1 < p < /spl infin/, improving on the 2-approximation algorithms of Azar & Epstein; and (iii) the first constant-factor multicriteria approximation algorithms that handle the weighted completion-time and any given collection of integer L/sub p/ norms. Our algorithm yields a common generalization of rounding theorems due to Karp et al and Shmoys & Tardos; among other applications, this yields an improved approximation for scheduling with resource-dependent processing times studied by Grigoriev et al.
40462435
A concurrency control mechanism based on extendible hashing for main memory database systems
A non-preemptive deadlock-free concurrency control mechanism based on extendible hashing has been presented for main memory database system. The algorithm makes use of the verification process of the optimistic concurrency control algorithm and two-phase locking policy to manage concurrent operations on sharable data. We also present a comparison of our algorithm with other two-phase locking mechanisms and show that our algorithm is more robust, easier to implement and provides a higher degree of concurrency than other algorithms on extendible hash file.
34436430
An Integrated Data Structure with Multiple Access Paths for Database Systems and its Performance
Abstract In the past a number of file organizations have been proposed for processing different types of queries efficiently. To our knowledge none of the existing file organizations is capable of supporting all types of accesses equally efficiently. In this paper we have taken a different approach for designing an integated data structure which offers multiple access paths for processing different types of queries efficiently. The data structure reported here can be implemented on disk based as well as main memory database systems, however, in this paper we report its behavior mainly in main memory database environment. Our approach is to fuse those data structures which offer an efficient access paths for a particular type. To show the feasibility of our scheme we fused the B+-tree, the grid file and extendible hashing structures, using a proper interface. We implemented and measured its performance through simulation modeling. Our results show that the data structure does improve concurrency and offers a higher throughput for a variety of transaction processing workloads. We argue that our scheme is different than creating secondary indexes for improving concurrency. In the absence of a data strucure which can provide all types of access equally efficiently, an integrated data structure is an acceptable solution which offers an efficient way for increasing the performance of database management systems.
1921533
A superior two-phase locking algorithm and its performance
Abstract Concurrent transactions, during their execution, may conflict over common data entities. Such conflicts are resolved by concurrency control mechanisms by use of operations such as transaction rollback and/or transaction blocking. There are a number of mechanisms available and each applies these operations in different ways to resolve conflicts and claims some performance advantages. In this work we have analyzed the behavior of a new deadlock-free two-phase locking mechanism, called Cautious Waiting, and have compared its performance with other well-known mechanisms. The mechanism is conceptually quite simple; therefore it is not likely to be difficult to implement. We show that this mechanism performs consistently better under a wide range of parameter values than the other mechanisms investigated here. We also show that it is more robust, in the sense that it is less sensitive to load increases and other changes in parameter settings. In contrast, we show that one of the most commonly used mechanisms is not as robust and efficient under stress situations.
5834255
An integrated data structure with multiple access paths for database systems
This article presents an integrated data structure which offers multiple access paths for processing different types of queries efficiently. The data structure is developed by fusing the B+ - tree, the grid file and extendible hashing structures using a proper interface. We show that this type of data structure is an efficient way for providing multiple access paths to data.