The Process Information Space: The Importance of Data Flow in Robotic Systems

Data flow describes the motion of information through a robotic system. As this work investigates, data flow can also provide system-critical information about the robot that is useful for failure recognition, fault recovery and improved robot dependability. The approach developed in this paper applies a planning formulation to the observation and control of data flow through the reconfiguration of robot process connections. Simulated results are presented and a subterranean robot application is discussed