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Defining object APIs

OK, I'm working on an API for a robotics system, my strategy is to define a small workable API that is extensible. The robot will be divided into logical functional objects of varying levels of complexity.

The first object I am thinking about is the robot "base." Imagine you had a simplified API to a robotic base. The base may be legged, wheeled, pogo-sticked, or overcraft it should not matter.

What is a reasonable control structure for such an API?

Velocity: set velocity Set vector/curve?

Position: move to position report estimated position move to position at speed

Do I build more functionality than that into the base, instead relying on higher level objects to control the base?

What do you think?

Reply to
mlw
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We went with:

define endpoints

make endpoints advertised across the network

use broadcast to transmit data to all recipients.

use point-to-point to send the data back.

Then you just name an endpoint as "Left_Motor_Velocity", send a value to it, and that sets the corresponding thing on the robot.

cheers, Rich.

Reply to
Rich Walker

"mlw"

Download and read the JAUS specification documents. There are a couple of them, but the last one I think (the one that really defines the communication messages) is pretty complete and will give you lots of insights. They have a common API for all you mentioned and something more. I did not use their API (messaging structure), but I got some pretty good ideas from their documentation. They've been working on the specification of JAUS for quite some time now.

Cheers

Padu

Reply to
Padu

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