An ontology for robot modelling and testing

Short Abstract This paper presents an ontology of robotics, and its use for validation of autonomous mobile robots. The ontology stands on top of a layered architecture, featuring knowledge based systems, simulators and behaviour analysis tools. We expose the comitments made for our representation of the robotic knowledge domain, and then we discuss the options we took for the implementation of the global architecture. Extended Abstract Representation issues in robotics Development, test and validation of embedded systems like mobile robots involve diierent knowledge domains. A robot's physical structure and control software are designed in order to fullll a given type of missions. Testing the robot's functionalities needs a model of the robot as well as a model of it's nominal environment. Modern robots integrate modules with their own physical resources and control software, making a global validation impossible. Hence, we use ontologies to determine the modelling and validation language. An ontologyyGO94] deenes knowledge structure for a given domain. We represent it as a concept hierarchy, with relations deened on these concepts, instances of the concepts and axioms relating instances and concepts. An ontology of robotics would be helpful for normalization of mechanical and electronic components, as well as control architectures. It can be used to specify fault detection systems, or simulators. A database of components, control tasks or complete subsystems helps modelling diierent versions of a given robot and 1