Skip to main content

Analysing RoboChart with Probabilities

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Formal Methods: Foundations and Applications (SBMF 2018)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 11254))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Robotic systems have applications in many real-life scenarios, ranging from household cleaning to critical operations. RoboChart is a graphical language for describing robotic controllers designed specifically for autonomous and mobile robots, providing architectural constructs to identify the requirements for a robotic platform. It also provides a formal semantics in CSP. RoboChart has a probabilistic operator () but no associated probabilistic CSP semantics. When is used, currently a non-deterministic choice () is used as semantics; this is a conservative semantics but it does not allow the analysis of stochastic properties. In this paper we define the semantics of the operator in terms of the probabilistic CSP operator \(\boxplus \). We also show how this augmented CSP semantics for RoboChart can be translated into the PRISM probabilistic language to be able to check stochastic properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    www.cs.york.ac.uk/circus/RoboCalc/robotool.

  2. 2.

    http://www.prismmodelchecker.org/tutorial/die.php.

  3. 3.

    To create such a graph, we export the Markov model in the PRISM tool and use the graphviz tool (http://www.graphviz.org/) to create Fig. 3.

  4. 4.

    Pmin can be used to calculate the minimum probability as well.

  5. 5.

    www.eclipse.org/epsilon/doc/book/.

References

  1. Baier, C., Katoen, J.-P.: Principles of Model Checking (Representation and Mind Series). The MIT Press, Cambridge (2008)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Ciocchetta, F., Hillston, J.: Bio-PEPA: A Framework for the Modelling and Analysis of Biological Systems (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dehnert, C., Junges, S., Katoen, J.P., Volk, M.: A storm is coming: a modern probabilistic model checker. In: Majumdar, R., Kunčak, V. (eds.) Computer Aided Verification. CAV 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 10427. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63390-9_31

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Fernandes, L., Custodio, V., Alves, G., Fisher, M.: A rational agent controlling an autonomous vehicle: implementation and formal verification. In: EPTCS, pp. 35–42 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Foster, S., Woodcock, J.: Unifying theories of programming in isabelle. In: Liu, Z., Woodcock, J., Zhu, H. (eds.) Unifying Theories of Programming and Formal Engineering Methods. LNCS, vol. 8050, pp. 109–155. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39721-9_3

    Chapter  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Foster, S., Woodcock, J.: Mechanised theory engineering in isabelle. In: Dependable Software Systems Engineering, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series, D: Information and Communication Security, vol. 40, pp. 246–287. IOS Press (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Foster, S., Zeyda, F., Woodcock, J.: Isabelle/UTP: a mechanised theory engineering framework. In: Naumann, D. (ed.) UTP 2014. LNCS, vol. 8963, pp. 21–41. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14806-9_2

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  8. Goldsmith, M.: CSP: the best concurrent-system description language in the world-probably! In: Communicating Process Architectures, pp. 227–232 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hoare, C.A.R., Jifeng, H.: Unifying Theories of Programming. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1998)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Jansen, D.N., Hermanns, H., Katoen, J.-P.: A probabilistic extension of UML statecharts. In: Damm, W., Olderog, E.-R. (eds.) FTRTFT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2469, pp. 355–374. Springer, Heidelberg (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45739-9_21

    Chapter  MATH  Google Scholar 

  11. Katoen, J.-P., Zapreev, I.S., Hahn, E.M., Hermanns, H., Jansen, D.N.: The ins and outs of the probabilistic model checker MRMC. Perform. Eval. 68(2), 90–104 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Knuth, D., Yao, A.: Algorithms and complexity: new directions and recent results. Chap. The Complexity of Nonuniform Random Number Generation. Academic Press (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Konur, S., Dixon, C., Fisher, M.: Formal verification of probabilistic swarm behaviours. In: Dorigo, M., et al. (eds.) ANTS 2010. LNCS, vol. 6234, pp. 440–447. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15461-4_42

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Kwiatkowska, M., Norman, G., Parker, D.: PRISM 4.0: verification of probabilistic real-time systems. In: Gopalakrishnan, G., Qadeer, S. (eds.) CAV 2011. LNCS, vol. 6806, pp. 585–591. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22110-1_47

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. Liu, W., Winfield, A.F.T., Sa, J.: Modelling swarm robotic systems : a case study in collective foraging. Int. J. Robot. Res. 23(4–5), 415–436 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lowe, G.: Probabilistic and prioritized models of timed CSP. Theor. Comput. Sci. 138(2), 315–352 (1995)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Massink, M., Brambilla, M., Latella, D., Dorigo, M., Birattari, M.: On the use of Bio-PEPA for modelling and analysing collective behaviours in swarm robotics. Swarm Intell. 7, 201–228 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. McIver, A.K.: Quantitative refinement and model checking for the analysis of probabilistic systems. In: Misra, J., Nipkow, T., Sekerinski, E. (eds.) FM 2006. LNCS, vol. 4085, pp. 131–146. Springer, Heidelberg (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/11813040_10

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Miyazawa, A., Cavalcanti, A., Ribeiro, P., Li, W., Woodcock, J., Timmis, J.: RoboChart Reference Manual. University of York (2016). https://www.cs.york.ac.uk/circus/RoboCalc/assets/RoboChart-manual.pdf

  20. Miyazawa, A., Ribeiro, P., Li, W., Cavalcanti, A., Timmis, J.: Automatic property checking of robotic applications. In: International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 3869–3876 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ribeiro, P., Miyazawa, A., Li, W., Cavalcanti, A., Timmis, J.: Modelling and verification of timed robotic controllers. In: Polikarpova, N., Schneider, S. (eds.) IFM 2017. LNCS, vol. 10510, pp. 18–33. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66845-1_2

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  22. Roscoe, A.W.: Understanding Concurrent Systems. Springer, London (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-258-0

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Song, S., Sun, J., Liu, Y., Dong, J.S.: A model checker for hierarchical probabilistic real-time systems. In: Madhusudan, P., Seshia, S.A. (eds.) CAV 2012. LNCS, vol. 7358, pp. 705–711. Springer, Heidelberg (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31424-7_53

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  24. Gibson-Robinson, T., Armstrong, P., Boulgakov, A., Roscoe, A.W.: FDR3 — a modern refinement checker for CSP. In: Ábrahám, E., Havelund, K. (eds.) TACAS 2014. LNCS, vol. 8413, pp. 187–201. Springer, Heidelberg (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54862-8_13

    Chapter  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. Tribastone, M.: The PEPA Plug-in Project (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Webster, M., et al.: Formal verification of an autonomous personal robotic assistant. In: AAAI Spring Symposium Series, pp. 74–79 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Webster, M., Fisher, M., Cameron, N., Jump, M.: Formal methods for the certification of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems. In: Flammini, F., Bologna, S., Vittorini, V. (eds.) SAFECOMP 2011. LNCS, vol. 6894, pp. 228–242. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24270-0_17

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by INES 2.0, CAPES, FACEPE (grants PRONEX APQ 0388-1.03/14 and APQ-0399-1.03/17), and CNPq (grant 465614/ 2014-0). We would like to thank André Didier and Matheus Santana.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. S. Conserva Filho .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Conserva Filho, M.S., Marinho, R., Mota, A., Woodcock, J. (2018). Analysing RoboChart with Probabilities. In: Massoni, T., Mousavi, M. (eds) Formal Methods: Foundations and Applications. SBMF 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11254. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03044-5_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03044-5_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03043-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03044-5

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics