Topicgroup "Software Engineering, Systems Integration and Systems Engineering"

Robots are the result of integrating a wide range of technologies. With sophisticated software components and complete subsystems of ever-increasing functionality becoming more and more available as commodity products from other sectors (mobile devices, communications, automobile driver assistance systems), the success of robotics will crucially depend on the ability to manage the integration of these complex systems into powerful and cheap robots.

We identified the need for a systems engineering approach which goes well beyond the current state-of-the-art, including systematic processes, methods, and tools to create robotic systems for real-world applications. This topic group focuses on:

• Software design methodology and capabilities are the “make or break” in robotics

• We need "total lifetime (software) support" - from the initial product idea, to the end of production, throughout the run-/use-time of the produced systems… and beyond

• Openness and standardisation are needed for further spread of robotics technology and for creating a business ecosystem for robotics
• Stewardship for the body-of-knowledge in software engineering, systems integration and systems engineering for robotics

This topic group provided input to the Multi-annual roadmap (mainly section 5.2, Systems Development) of the euRobotics aisbl, the private side of the SPARC public-private partnership in context of Horizon2020.

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