Model-Driven Development of Multi-Robot Systems: From BPMN Models to X-Klaim Code

Despite the ever-increasing spread of multi-robot systems, designing and programming their software is still a complex and demanding activity. This is due to the complexity of coordinating the interactions among robots of such systems while dealing at the same time with low-level implementation details of single robots’ behavior. These difficulties may represent a technological barrier for non-expert users and may limit the collaboration between roboticists, application domain experts, and involved stakeholders. In this paper, we face this challenge by introducing a model-driven development approach for multi-robot systems based on BPMN and X-Klaim. On the one hand, the BPMN standard provides an intuitive graphical notation, largely adopted by industry and academia. It facilitates the design of complex robotic interactions without demanding in-depth knowledge of the underlying programming language. On the other hand, X-Klaim provides a framework for implementing the behavior of multi-robot systems using: (i) coordination primitives, suitable for dealing with both intra- and inter-robot interactions and for composing high-level robot activities, and (ii) integration with Java, enabling programming of low-level details. Specifically, we propose a model-driven approach that merges the clarity of BPMN with the operational strength of X-Klaim by relying on an automatic translation of BPMN models into X-Klaim code. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach, we provide the B2XKlaim tool, which automates the conversion process, and apply it to a case study from the e-agriculture domain.