There are many programming languages
which we use while building Robots, we have a few programming languages which we
always prefer to use in designing. Actually the programming languages which we
use mainly depend on the hardware one is using in building robots.
Some of them are- URBI, C and BASIC.
URBI is an open source language. In this article we will try to know more about
these languages. Let's start with URBI.
URBI : URBI
stands for Universal Real-time Behavior Interface. It is a client/server based
interpreted language in which Robot works as a client and controller as a
server. It makes us to learn about the commands which we give to Robots and
receive messages from them. The interpreter and wrapped server are called as
"URBI Engine". The URBI Engine uses commands from Client and receives messages
to it. This language allows user to work on basic Perception-action principle.
The users just have to write some simple loops on the basis of this principle
directly in URBI.
PYTHON : There
is another language which is used in designing Robots. Python is an
object-oriented language which is used to access and control Robots. Python is
an interpreted language; this language has an application in working with mobile
robots, particularly those manufactured by different companies. With python it
is possible to use a single program for controlling many different robots.
However Python is slower than C++ but it has some good sides as well as it
proved very easy to interact with robots using this language, it is highly
portable and can be run in windows and MAC OSX plus it can easily be extendable
using C and C++ language. Python is a very reliable language for string
manipulation and text processing.
ROBOTC : Other
Languages which we use are C, C++ and C # etc. or their implementation, like
ROBOTC, ROBOTC is an implementation of C language.
If we are designing a simple Robot, we do not need assembly code, but in complex
designing we need well-defined codes. ROBOTC is another programming language
which is C-based. It is actually a text based programming language. The
commands which we want to give to our Robot, first written on the screen in the
form of simple text, now as we know that Robot is a kind of machine and a
machine only understands machine language. So these commands need to be
converted in machine language so that robot can easily understand and do
whatever it is instructed to do. This job is done by ROBOTC compiler.
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Although commands are given in text
form (called as codes) but this language is very specific about the commands
which is provided as instruction. If we do even a minor change in given text it
will not accept it as command. If the command which is provided to it is correct
it colorizes that text, and we came to know that the given command in text form
is correct (as we have shown in our example given below). Programming done in
ROBOTC is very easy to do. Commands given are very straightforward. Like if we
want our robot to switch on any hardware part, we just have to give code
regarding to that action in text form. Suppose we want robot to turn motor of
port, we just have to give command in this way:
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Although program above is not exactly shown in the way in which it should be written, this is just to provide you a visualization of what we have told you. This is not written in an appropriate manner.ROBOTC provide advantage of speed, a Robot programmed in ROBOTC programming
supports 45 times more speed than provided by other programming based on C plus
it has a very powerful debugging feature.
ROBOTICS.NXT : ROBOTICS.NXT
has a support for a simple message-based control. It direct commands, nxt-upload
is one of its programs which is used to upload any file. It works on
Linux. After getting introduction on programming languages, it becomes necessary
to know something about MRDS as well, MRDS is an environment which is designed
especially for
controlling robots.
Microsoft Robotics
Developer Studio:
Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio is an environment given for simulation
purpose of Robots. It is based on a .net library concurrent implementation. This
environment has support so that we can add other services as well. It has
features which not only include creating and debugging Robot Applications but
also it becomes easy to interact with sensors directly. C# programming language
is used as a primary language in it. It has 4 main components:
·
Concurrency and coordination Runtime (CCR)
·
Decentralized software services (DSS)
·
Visual Programming Language (VPL)
·
Visual simulation environment (VSE)
Concurrency and coordination Runtime is a synchronous programming library based
on .net framework. Although it is a component of MRDS but it can be used with
any application. DSS is also a .net runtime environment, In DSS services are
exposed as resources which one can access through programs. DSS uses DSSP
(Decentralizes software services protocol) and HTTP.
If we want to graphics and visual effects in our programming, we use VPL.
Visual Programming language is a programming language which allows us to create
programs by doing manipulations in programming languages graphically. We use
boxes and arrows in this kind of programming while we want to show dataflow kind
of things.
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Visual
programming language has huge application in animations.
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The last component which we are going to describe is Visual Simulation
Environment. VSE provides simulates physical objects. Visual Simulation
environment is an integrated environment for picture-based, object oriented and
component based applications of simulation.
Programming in robotics is a very vast topic that we cant cover in a single article. This is just an introduction for those who want to get an idea about using languages in building of robots.