TY - JOUR
T1 - Experiences applying formal approaches in the development of swarm-based space exploration systems
AU - Rouff, Christopher A.
AU - Hinchey, Michael G.
AU - Truszkowski, Walter F.
AU - Rash, James L.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - NASA is researching advanced technologies for future exploration missions using intelligent swarms of robotic vehicles. One of these missions is the Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm (ANTS) mission that will explore the asteroid belt using 1,000 cooperative autonomous spacecraft. The emergent properties of intelligent swarms make it a potentially powerful concept, but at the same time more difficult to design and ensure that the proper behaviors will emerge. NASA is investigating formal methods and techniques for verification of such missions. The advantage of using formal methods is the ability to mathematically verify the behavior of a swarm, emergent or otherwise. Using the ANTS mission as a case study, we have evaluated multiple formal methods to determine their effectiveness in modeling and ensuring desired swarm behavior. This paper discusses the results of this evaluation and proposes an integrated formal method for ensuring correct behavior of future NASA intelligent swarms.
AB - NASA is researching advanced technologies for future exploration missions using intelligent swarms of robotic vehicles. One of these missions is the Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm (ANTS) mission that will explore the asteroid belt using 1,000 cooperative autonomous spacecraft. The emergent properties of intelligent swarms make it a potentially powerful concept, but at the same time more difficult to design and ensure that the proper behaviors will emerge. NASA is investigating formal methods and techniques for verification of such missions. The advantage of using formal methods is the ability to mathematically verify the behavior of a swarm, emergent or otherwise. Using the ANTS mission as a case study, we have evaluated multiple formal methods to determine their effectiveness in modeling and ensuring desired swarm behavior. This paper discusses the results of this evaluation and proposes an integrated formal method for ensuring correct behavior of future NASA intelligent swarms.
KW - Formalmethods
KW - Swarm
KW - Validation
KW - Verification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750440767&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10009-006-0027-5
DO - 10.1007/s10009-006-0027-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750440767
SN - 1433-2779
VL - 8
SP - 587
EP - 603
JO - International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer
JF - International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer
IS - 6
ER -