Simulation and visualization tool design for robot software

Modern embedded systems are designed for multiple and increasingly demanding tasks. Complex concurrent software is required by multi-task automated service robotics for implementing their challenging (control) algorithms. TERRA is a communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) algebra-based Eclipse graphical modelling tool suite which is capable of C++ code generation. It is designed to ease tedious and error-prone concurrent software development for robotics. However, sufficient simulation and visualization supports are not provided yet in TERRA. A hybrid simulation approach is proposed in this paper to provide simulation capabilities for the TERRA tool suite with respect to the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) co-design. Moreover, a visualization for the simulation is designed as well to provide animation facilities which enable users to visually trace simulated execution flows. Finally, we use an example to test the hybrid simulation approach as well as visualization facilities. The simulation approach is shown to be sufficient and the visualization works as intended.