Representation of the Operational Behaviour of an Educational Robot at Conceptual Design Using Petri Nets

Abstract

Increasing demand for computational support at conceptual design makes behavioural modeling a challenging area for design research. This is mainly because a behavioural model of a nonexistent design artifact at conceptual level is the basis for behavioural simulation and resulting computational design support. Behavioural models are particularly important for top-down design of multidisciplinary products such as mechatronic systems. During the conceptual design of such systems, intended “operational behavior” of the artifact is described without any physical realization. As design stages become more concrete, operational behaviour can be refined so as to represent well defined mathematical descriptions of corresponding physical behaviors. In this study, a model for representing the intended operational behaviour of a nonexistent educational robot, namely a rabbit robot, is presented for conceptual design. The operational behaviour of the robot is defined as composed of states and state transitions independent of any physical embodiment. Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) and Petri Net formalism are used for the model. This representational model is the first step towards the development of a virtual prototype for the operational behaviour of an educational robot.