A domain-specific language (DSL) is a programming language dedicated to a particular problem domain that offers specific notations and abstractions that increase programmer productivity within that domain. Models offer a high-level way for domain users to specify the functionality of their system at the right level of abstraction. DSLs and models have historically been used for programming complex systems. However recently they have garnered interest as a separate field of study. Robotic systems blend hardware and software in a holistic way that intrinsically raises many crosscutting concerns (concurrency, uncertainty, time constraints, ...), for which reason, traditional general-purpose languages often lead to a poor fit between the language features and the implementation requirements. DSLs and models offer a powerful, systematic way to overcome this problem, enabling the programmer to quickly and precisely implement novel software solutions to complex problems within the robotics domain. The main objective of this workshop is a cross-pollination of ideas between robotics researchers in DSLs and models from different domains. DSLs and models are key elements in many robotic systems presented at leading conferences such as IROS and ICRA, but the domain-centric structure of the typical robotics conference does not offer a natural venue for exchange of ideas regarding DSLs and models. This workshop will bring together robotics researchers from different parts of the robotics community, thus forming a base for future collaboration.

1. DSLRob’10: 1st International
Workshop on Domain-Specific
Languages and models for
ROBotic systems
IROS’10 Workshop
Ulrik P. Schultz, University of Southern Denmark
Serge Stinckwich, UMI UMMISCO (IRD/UPMC/MSI-
IFI)
Mikal Ziane, LIP6

2. Motivation
 Domain-specific languages (DSLs)
historically used but not talked about
 Models common but more descriptive
than generative
 DSLRob:
◦ create awareness in robotics community
◦ cross-pollination/shared experience

3. DSLRob schedule
8:20-8:30 - Welcome and introduction
8:30-9:00 - On reverse-engineering the KUKA Robot
Language
9:00-9:30 - Towards Quality of Service and Resource
Aware Robotic Systems through Model-Driven Software
Development
9:30-9:55 - A Software Product Line for Modular Robotics
9:55-10:20 - Coffee break
10:20-10:40 - Events! (Reactivity in urbiscript)
10:40-11:10 - A Platform-independent Programming
Environment for Robot Control
11:10-11:35 - A DSL for the visualization of multi-robots
system
11:35-12:00 - Discussion and conclusion
(Minimum 5 minutes per talk for discussion, preferably more.)

4. Questions for each talk
 What’s specific about this domain-
specific language?
 Is this DSL specific to robotics?
Embedded systems?
 What prompted the need for this DSL?
 Is your DSL being used by users?
 Were the required programming
language technologies adequate?