A Survey on Intermediation Architectures for Underwater Robotics.
Xin Li1, José-Fernán Martínez2, Jesús Rodríguez-Molina3
1Research Center on Software Technologies and Multimedia Systems for Sustainability (Centro de Investigación en Tecnologías Software y Sistemas Multimedia Para la Sostenibilidad-CITSEM), Campus Sur UPM, Ctra. Valencia, Km 7, Madrid 28031, Spain. xin.li@upm.es.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 11, 2016
Summary
This study reviews existing middleware architectures for networked robots, highlighting a lack of comprehensive analysis for underwater robotics. It identifies common weaknesses to guide future development of specialized underwater robotic middleware.
Area of Science:
- Robotics and Automation
- Software Engineering for Robotic Systems
- Underwater Vehicle Technology
Background:
- Numerous solutions exist for networked robot interconnectivity and interoperability, enabling coordinated task execution.
- Middleware architectures are increasingly adopted for their benefits, including hardware abstraction and information homogenization.
- A significant gap exists in the literature concerning the state-of-the-art in intermediation architectures specifically for underwater robotics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the scarcity of research on underwater robotics middleware by providing a holistic view of existing proposals.
- To systematically study and assess compelling existing works in intermediation architectures for underwater robotic software development.
- To identify and highlight common weaknesses across current underwater robotics middleware solutions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive literature review of existing intermediation architectures relevant to underwater robotics.
- Assessed selected works based on their most prominent features, capabilities, and architectural designs.
- Classified and analyzed individual contributions to reveal common limitations and challenges.
Main Results:
- Identified and analyzed key existing works in middleware architectures for networked and underwater robotic systems.
- Revealed several common weaknesses and limitations prevalent in current underwater robotics middleware solutions through systematic classification.
- Provided a foundational understanding of the current landscape and challenges in underwater robotic intermediation.
Conclusions:
- The current state of middleware for underwater robotics is fragmented, with significant room for improvement.
- Identified weaknesses provide a critical starting point for the development of more effective underwater robotic middleware.
- This work lays the groundwork for creating a robust middleware architecture tailored to the unique demands of underwater robotics.
