TY - JOUR

T1 - Software architectures for robotic systems

T2 - A systematic mapping study

AU - Ahmad, Aakash

AU - Babar, Muhammad Ali

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - Context Several research efforts have been targeted to support architecture centric development and evolution of software for robotic systems for the last two decades. Objective We aimed to systematically identify and classify the existing solutions, research progress and directions that influence architecture-driven modeling, development and evolution of robotic software. Research Method We have used Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) method for identifying and analyzing 56 peer-reviewed papers. Our review has (i) taxonomically classified the existing research and (ii) systematically mapped the solutions, frameworks, notations and evaluation methods to highlight the role of software architecture in robotic systems. Results and Conclusions We have identified eight themes that support architectural solutions to enable (i) operations, (ii) evolution and (iii) development specific activities of robotic software. The research in this area has progressed from object-oriented to component-based and now to service-driven robotics representing different architectural models that emerged overtime. An emerging solution is cloud robotics that exploits the foundations of service-driven architectures to support an interconnected web of robots. The results of this SMS facilitate knowledge transfer – benefiting researchers and practitioners – focused on exploiting software architecture to model, develop and evolve robotic systems.

AB - Context Several research efforts have been targeted to support architecture centric development and evolution of software for robotic systems for the last two decades. Objective We aimed to systematically identify and classify the existing solutions, research progress and directions that influence architecture-driven modeling, development and evolution of robotic software. Research Method We have used Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) method for identifying and analyzing 56 peer-reviewed papers. Our review has (i) taxonomically classified the existing research and (ii) systematically mapped the solutions, frameworks, notations and evaluation methods to highlight the role of software architecture in robotic systems. Results and Conclusions We have identified eight themes that support architectural solutions to enable (i) operations, (ii) evolution and (iii) development specific activities of robotic software. The research in this area has progressed from object-oriented to component-based and now to service-driven robotics representing different architectural models that emerged overtime. An emerging solution is cloud robotics that exploits the foundations of service-driven architectures to support an interconnected web of robots. The results of this SMS facilitate knowledge transfer – benefiting researchers and practitioners – focused on exploiting software architecture to model, develop and evolve robotic systems.

KW - Evidence-based software engineering

KW - Robotic systems

KW - Software architecture

KW - Software architecture for robotics

KW - Systematic mapping study

U2 - 10.1016/j.jss.2016.08.039

DO - 10.1016/j.jss.2016.08.039

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84984664038

VL - 122

SP - 16

EP - 39

JO - Journal of Systems and Software

JF - Journal of Systems and Software

SN - 0164-1212

ER -