Web-based knowledge intensive intelligent support for robot family design

This paper presents an approach to the design of robotic systems from the perspectives of product family design and knowledge support, i.e., a platform based robot family design using a knowledge intensive support paradigm. The high-level information and knowledge modeling issues regarding the design of families of robotic systems are addressed. A module-based integrated robot family design scheme is proposed with knowledge support for task or customer requirement modeling, robot architecture modeling, robot platform establishment, robot family generation, and robot assessment. The issues and requirements, related to the development of knowledge intensive support framework and system for module-based robot family design, are also addressed. The developed web-based prototype system can provide support for robot/family customization design over the Internet. Finally, the design cases are provided.