Projects —  by Jan Broenink
The theme of research deals with the realization of control schemes on mostly networked computers. The use of parallel hardware and parallel software is investigated, to exploit the inherent parallel nature of embedded systems and their control.
Simulation and formal methods are used as a means for verification at all stages of the design process. This facilitates concurrent engineering.
Applications are in mechatronics / robotics, where the hard real-time constraints and behavior are challenging.
 
Currently running projects
DESTECS (2010 — 2012)
(EU FP7, STREP)
Design Support and Tooling for Embedded Control Software, using co-simulation between 20sim and VDM++ models. Fault modeling / injection is done to enhance the dependability of the resulting embedded software. The tools are open source, and eclipse based. University of Newcastle, Engineering College Aarhus, CHeSS BV, Controllab Products BV, Neopost Technologies BV and Verhaert New Products and Services NV are partners. UT is coordinator. See www.destecs.org
Xiaochen Zhang and Yunyun Ni work on this project

RoboNED (2010 - 2012)
(IIP, ICT Regie)
The robotics ICT Innovation Platform, sponsored by ICT Regie, to embody the Dutch Robotics Ecosystem, by bringing together the people / stakeholders relevant for this field: designers, producers, users, decision makers. prof. Stefano Stramigioli is chair of RoboNED. The platform manager, Ditske Kranenburg, is located at UT-CE

Model-Based Design of SW Intensive ES (2009 — 2013)
(UT-CTIT-DSN)
On integration of models for the design of dependable, software-intensive embedded systems, trying to bring together existing modeling methods from the formal methods domain and the mechatronics / robotics domain. Work done together with the CS-groups FMT and SE. Oguzcan Oguz works on this project (supervision with Angelika Mader)
Mechatronics for SME (2009 — 2014)
(EU Interreg IV A majeur)
To let SMEs in the Euregio better use mechatronics in their activities. Together with consultancy and technology transfer firms (Syntens and STODT in our area), results of our mechatronics work is brought to the SMEs in the region. The Coordinator is the Euregio office. Four German-Dutch euregios between the Dollard and the Ruhr are participating. The UT PhD candidate brings in mechatronics expertise and researches methods.
See www.mechatronica-mkb.eu. Windel Bouwman works on this project.

BRICS (2009 — 2013)
(EU FP7 IP)
Best Practice in Robotics, an Integrated Project to promote the interoperability of hardware and software components for robotics, and to design and implement an integrated robotic development environment including a software repository of best practise robotics algorithms. Kuka Roboter is the Coordinator, GPS, BRSU, KUL, Fraunhofer-IPA, Bergamo and Bluebotics are partners. UT focuses with 2 PhD candidates on robustness both in hardware and software (i.e. dependability). See www.best-of-robotics.org
Yury Brodskiy and Cagri Yalcin work on this project (supervison with Peter Breedveld)

JaClean (2008 - 2010)
(Nederland Schoon)
On designing an autonomous street cleaning robot, via BSc and MSc student projects. DEMCON and ME-DPM are partners, while the cleaning robot company HAKO is participating.		 JC logo
TeleFlex (2009 — 2013)
(NL PIDON)
Research on a chirurgical telemanipulation robotic system (user side) suitable for intuitive control of the next generation chirurgical instruments for minimal invasive surgery. The high-tech SME DEMCON is the coordinator. Technical Medicine and Mechanical Engineering (WA, DPM) are partners. The UT-CTIT PhD candidate (Maarten Bezemer) concentrates on networked control software, and safe robotic software architectures.
ViewCorrect
(STW /PROGRESS)
Provide methodological support, including (prototype) tools, for the predictable design of distributed hard real-time embedded control systems for mechatronic products. It deals with views (editors), core models, and  correctness-preserving code generation.
This project is done in collaboration with the TU/e, EE, ICS/ES group. See the papers and student reports on the project's website.
Marcel Groothuis works on this project at the UT.

 
Finished projects
BodeRC (2002 — 2007)
(ESI/ SenterNovem)
Design and validation of distributed controller architectures for mechatronic systems. Oce printers serve as example. The test setup at our lab consists of Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation system: the mechatronic device is simulated, and the controller and I/O run on the real hardware. This project is in collaboration with ESI. See the papers and student reports on the project's website.

ESI logo
Fieldbusses for Real-Time Control (2002 — 2007)
(STW / PROGRESS)
The CT-library is used with several fieldbusses (CAN, Firewire, RT-Ethernet). Adaptations to the library are necessary. Also fault tolerance at fieldbus interconnected CT-processes is exploited to enhance reliability of the embedded software. See the papers and student reports on the project's website.
Bojan Orlic - PhD, 20 September 2007
Design Tools (2001 — 2006)
(STW / PROGRESS)
Development of software tooling using the CT-library, allowing for building highly reliable software for real-time control systems in a a short time at a fraction of the present day costs. Mechatronic setups are build as demonstrators. See the papers and student reports on the project's website.
Dusko Jovanovic - PhD, 16 March 2006
Gerald Hilderink - PhD, 19 May 2005
Java PnP — CT-library (1997 — 2005)
Concurrent programming as was done previously with occam and Transputers, is now implemented in Java: the Communicating Threads library. Also C and C++ versions are prototyped. See the papers of Gerald Hilderink et al, on the publications page of the Control Engineering website.
Oscar (1990 —1998)
A 6-DOF anthropomorphic robot controlled by a parallel transputer system. Modern, model-based control strategies were tested: Impedance control (together with vision for localizing objects), Sliding mode control and Sliding mode impedance control.
Thesis (1990 —1994)
Software tooling for distributed control computer systems consisting of transputers. The idea was that controller code will be generated with 20sim, exploiting the natural parallellism in mechatronic systems together with both the bond-graph and CSP / occam / Transputer approaches.
See the PhD thesis and papers of Klaas Wijbrans (et al), on the publications page of the Control Engineering website.
Klaas Wijbrans - PhD, 6 April 1993
Modelica (1996 —1999)
European collaboration to design a new modeling language for dynamics of physical systems. Existing languages were unified to obtain the new standard. After my involvement, the Modelica organization continued.
20-sim / CAMAS (1990 —1998)
CAMAS (result from my PhD) was extended (a.o. multibond graphs, multi blockdiagrams, wire frame animation). In 1995, Controllab Products B.V. was erected as our spin-off company to industrialize & sell the software. The name changed to 20-sim for trade mark reasons. After that, 20-sim was extended with hybrid simulation to better support simulation of controlled systems. Also code generation facilities were constructed.
Olmeco (1992 — 1996; EU Esprit)
Development and initial filling of a database of (bond-graph) models of mechatronic systems. The French and Spanish partners delivered the topics to model, whereas the Belgian and other Dutch partner contributed with database and metamodeling issues.