System Design of a First Robotic Competition Robot: A Model-Based Design Approach using AutomationML

Abstract

This paper proposes a well-structured way of designing and documenting a first robotics competition (FRC) robot or any other automated system for that matter. This is done for the following two reasons. First, create a better understanding of how to break down a mechatronic system and second, increase the ease of communication between different technical (and non-technical) fields. The system used in this work is a robot designed to compete in the FRC in 2017, designed by a group of students. The main objective of this system design, following the model-based approach, is to get familiar with the functionality of the robot. The design is documented in two ways: in a design tree and in AutomationML. The simulation results show that AutomationML diagrams provide a more clear structure and more detailed information compared to the design tree. However, neither of these options offers a solution for the physical integration of different subsystems.