EUD-MARS: End-User Development of Model-Driven Adaptive Robotics Software Systems

Akiki, Pierre; Akiki, Paul; Bandara, Arosha and Yu, Yijun (2020). EUD-MARS: End-User Development of Model-Driven Adaptive Robotics Software Systems. Science of Computer Programming, 200, article no. 102534.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scico.2020.102534

Abstract

Empowering end-users to program robots is becoming more significant. Introducing software engineering principles into end-user programming could improve the quality of the developed software applications. For example, model-driven development improves technology independence and adaptive systems act upon changes in their context of use. However, end-users need to apply such principles in a non-daunting manner and without incurring a steep learning curve. This paper presents EUD-MARS that aims to provide end-users with a simple approach for developing model-driven adaptive robotics software. End-users include people like hobbyists and students who are not professional programmers but are interested in programming robots. EUD-MARS supports robots like hobby drones and educational humanoids that are available for end-users. It offers a tool for software developers and another one for end-users. We evaluated EUD-MARS from three perspectives. First, we used EUD-MARS to program different types of robots and assessed its visual programming language against existing design principles. Second, we asked software developers to use EUD-MARS to configure robots and obtained their feedback on strengths and points for improvement. Third, we observed how end-users explain and develop EUD-MARS programs, and obtained their feedback mainly on understandability, ease of programming, and desirability. These evaluations yielded positive indications of EUD-MARS.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 71673
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 0167-6423
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Drone Identity	Not Set	European Union Horizon 2020
  SAUSE: Secure, Adaptive, Usable Software Engineering	EP/R013144/1 (previous: EP/R005095/1)	EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)

• Keywords
• end-user development; model-driven; adaptive systems; robots; visual languages; visual development environments
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Computing and Communications
• Research Group
• Centre for Research in Computing (CRC)
• Copyright Holders
• © 2020 Elsevier
• Depositing User
• Yijun Yu