Abstract

Abstract
This paper describes the main design options of the PO-ROBOT project. The PO-ROBOT project consists in the design and the implementation of the Vehicle and Mission Management Systems of a mobile platform for autonomous transportation, surveillance and inspection in structured and semi-structured industrial environments. This project is funded by the NATO Programme Science for Stability and the Institute for Systems and Robotics. The Vehicle and Mission Management Systems are based in a hierarchical control structure organized linguistically permitting the parallel execution of tasks in real-time. This architecture is composed by the following three levels structured according to the IPDI (Increasing Precision with Decreasing Intelligence) Principle: Organization, Coordination and Functional Layer.

Abstract

Abstract
Most models that have been proposed, or implemented, so far for exploiting both or-parallelism and independent and-parallelism have only considered pure logic programs (pure Prolog). We present an abstract model, called the Composition-Tree, for representing and-or parallelism in full Prolog. The Composition-Tree recomputes independent goals to ensure that Prolog semantics is preserved. We combine the idea of Composition-Tree with ideas developed earlier, to develop an abstract execution model that supports full Prolog semantics while at the same time avoiding redundant inferences when computing solutions to (purely) independent and-parallel goals. This is accomplished by sharing solutions of independent goals when they are pure (i.e. have no side-effects or cuts in them). The Binding Array scheme is extended for and-or parallel execution based on this abstract execution model. This extension enables the Binding Array scheme to support or-parallelism in the presence of independent and-parallelism, both when solutions to independent goals are recomputed as well as when they are shared. We show how extra-logical predicates, such as cuts and side-effects, are supported in this model. © 1994.

Abstract
This paper presents a tri-level hierarchic control architecture for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles AUVs. This hierarchic structure is composed of three levels: organization, coordination and functional layer, structured according to the principle of increasing precision with decreasing intelligence. These levels are organized linguistically. The main contribution is the concept of dynamically configurable architecture where the notion of architecture coordinator plays a crucial role. This system dynamically configures the connections among modules of the functional layer and maintains the state of this configuration so that the most adequate translation of planned actions into execution commands takes place. These coordination features are also used to incorporate the emergence of reactive behaviors in this hierarchic architecture. The architecture structure has provisions to support multi-modal operator interfaces and for integration in complex operational systems governing the operation of multiple AUVs, divers and other sensors and actuactors.

Abstract
In this paper, system component reinforcements are analyzed from the perspective of their impact in increasing flexibility in system design. The proposed framework integrates a fuzzy optimal power flow model through which one can derive, as a function of load uncertainties, possibility distributions for generation, power flows and power not supplied. Exposure and robustness indices, based on risk analysis concepts, are defined. These indices can be used to rank the expansion alternatives, giving the planner insight to system behavior in face of adverse futures. Their use in conjunction with investment assessments is proposed as a necessary step in a decision making methodology.