IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - March 2017 - 10

Entity
Abstract

Physical

Content Bearing Object

Proposition

Process

Object

Agent

Artifact

Device

Robot Architecture Document

Association RA

Robot

Robot Architecture

Conforms

Element RA
Abstract Part

Abstract Part
Structure

Contains Information

Robot Structure

Agent

Layer RA

Module RA

Conforms

Robot Behavior

Robot Function

Figure 2. ROA basic concepts and relationships [3].

vocabularies will be achieved through
consensus between different group mem-
bers. The second aspect is to develop
a task repository, which will provide
a set of instances that could be used
for robotic im-
plementation
and validation of
The standard
the task ontology.
provides a unified
The task on-
tology formally
way of representing
defines what a
knowledge and
task is, and spec-
ifies the proper-
provides a common
ties of tasks, the
set of terms and
properties of
definitions, allowing the hierarchy in
which tasks are
for unambiguous
placed, and the
ways in which
knowledge transfer
the performance
among any group
of the capabili-
ties required to
of human, robots,
accomplish the
and other artificial
tasks are mea-
sured. The task
systems.
repository en -
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IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

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ables the community to build up a
shared catalog of tasks and capabilities
along with their relationships (based
on elements within the task ontology).
The purpose of the overall standard
is to ensure common representations
and frameworks when tasks are de-
scribed, so the knowledge represented
in the task ontology defines the struc-
ture and  content of the tasks in the
task repository.
Although the task ontology will
be the official standard when com-
pleted, the task repository is neces-
sary to help validate the standard and
to provide an avenue that makes the
standard more useful and practicable
in the industry.
The Autonomous
Robot Subgroup
In 2016, the IEEE RAS Standing Com-
mittee approved the Autonomous
Robot (AuR) subgroup as a study group
(SG) to determine whether sufficient
interest and resources exist to develop
an IEEE draft standard. The AuR-SG

MARCH 2017

aims to create a standard ontology
that specifies the domain knowledge
needed to build autonomous robots,
operating in the air as well as in ground
and underwater environments. Bene-
fits include having a common knowl-
edge base for the development and
integration of systems from different
manufacturers, which will enable in-
teroperability and catapult design to a
new level.
The AuR-SG intends to extend
CORA and define domain-specific
concepts and axioms. The AuR-SG
will analyze the various autonomous
robots (e.g., flying, ground, underwa-
ter) to identify the components neces-
sary to endow robots with autonomy,
including the needed hardware and
software. To develop the standard
ontology for autonomous systems,
the AuR-SG has adopted the follow-
ing approach:
1) Develop standard vocabularies for
architectural concepts in IEEE 1471/
IEC 42010 [with a focus on Robot
Parts (RParts)].
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - March 2017
