Multi-Robot System Architecture Design in SysML and BPMN

Abstract

Multi-Robot System (MRS) is a complex system that contains many different software and hardware components. This main problem addressed in this article is the MRS design complexity. The proposed solution provides a modular modeling and simulation technique that is based on formal system engineering method, therefore the MRS design complexity is decomposed and reduced. Modeling the MRS has been achieved via two formal Architecture Description Languages (ADLs), which are Systems Modeling Language (SysML) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), to design the system blueprints. By using those abstract design ADLs, the implementation of the project becomes technology agnostic. This allows to transfer the design concept from on programming language to another. During the simulation phase, a multi-agent environment is used to simulate the MRS blueprints. The simulation has been implemented in Java Agent Development (JADE) middleware. Therefore, its results can be used to analysis and verify the proposed MRS model in form of performance evaluation matrix.