Speeding up software development for mobile robots with flexible partial simulation environment

Software for mobile robots like autonomous vehicles has common features and similar modules. Similar sensors and environmental sensing systems are used in most autonomous vehicles. The most common sensor is a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit that has practically the same interface in all cases. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed an intermediate language for commanding autonomous vehicles. External computer systems or user interfaces control (give commands to) a vehicle using general commands of the language. All vehicles have software drivers to interpret the command to corresponding list of actions to that specific vehicle or the equipment of it. Software for a new vehicle (and application) can be modified and compiled relative rapidly from module libraries using the modularity and separation mentioned