A computational framework for the simulation, verification, and synthesis of force-guided robotic assembly strategies

1 Corresponding Author. Asst. Prof., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Dept., Glennan 515B. 2 Ph.D. Student, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dept., Glennan 109. Abstract. Robotic assemblies are inherently hybrid systems. This paper pursues a class of multi-tiered peg-inhole assemblies that we call “peg-in-maze” assemblies. These assemblies require a force-responsive, low-level controller governing physical contacts plus a decisionmaking, strategic-level supervisor monitoring the overall progress. To capture this dichotomy we formulate hybrid automata, where each state represents a different forcecontrolled “behavior” and transitions between states encode the high-level strategy of the assembly. Our overarching goal is to produce a computational framework for the simulation, verification, and synthesis of such forceguided robotic assembly strategies. We investigate the use of three general hybrid-systems software tools (Hybrid cc, HyTech, and CEtool) for the simulation and verification of these strategies. We describe the computational environment we developed at Case to synthesize and implement real-world assembly strategies.