Hardware-in-the-loop simulation for real-time software verification of an autonomous underwater robot

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a software engineering procedure for real-time software development and verification of an autonomous underwater robotic system. High performance and robust software are one of the requirements of autonomous systems design. A simple error in the software can easily lead to a catastrophic failure in a complex system. Then, a systematic procedure is presented for this purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes software engineering tools and hardware-inthe-loop (HIL) simulations for real-time system design of an autonomous underwater robot.

Findings

In this paper, the architecture of the system is extracted. Then, using software engineering techniques a suitable structure for control software is presented. Considering the desirable targets of the robot, suitable algorithms and functions are developed. After the development stage, proving the real-time performance of the software is disclosed.

Originality/value

A suitable approach for analyzing the real-time performance is presented. This approach is implemented using HIL simulations. The developed structure is applicable to other autonomous systems.

Citation

Sarhadi, P., Nad Ali Niachari, R., Pouyan Rad, M. and Enayati, J. (2016), "Hardware-in-the-loop simulation for real-time software verification of an autonomous underwater robot", International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 163-181. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIUS-12-2015-0016