Discrete Event Control
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DEDS are dynamic systems in which discrete events occur. If modeled by state machines (see Figure 4), these discrete events would trigger state transitions. These systems are typically asynchronous, and can be used as control models for hybrid systems which have continuous, discrete and symbolic aspects.
The applications of this work are numerous: automatic inspection of mechanical or electronic components, reproduction of mechanical parts, etc. The experience gained in applying DEDS to the inspection problem will allow us to study the subdivision of the solution into reliable, reversible, and an easy-to-modify software and hardware environments.
DEDS are usually modeled by finite state automata with partially observable events. Subsets of transitions can be disabled or enabled, depending on the application. Our approach is to use DEDS to drive a semi-autonomous visual sensing module which is capable of making decisions about the state of the exploration (e.g. the relation of the CMM probe to the part). This module provides both symbolic and parametric descriptions which can be used to interrupt the exploration or move to a new mode of exploration.