FEL(ID:4389/fel002)

Feature Extraction Language 

for Feature Extraction Language

Robotics institiute at CMU


References:
  • Bourne, D. A Numberless, Tensed Language for Action Oriented Tasks, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-82-12, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, October, 1982. view details Abstract: Action oriented languages are number intensive. Graphic's languages are centered around where to draw something rather than what to draw. The where involves a tedious numeric description of vertices. Robotic's languages are also dominated by a where description, but now the where specifies a robot motion. The result is an array of numbers that obscures the meaning of the program to its reader. This paper shows how a number of linguistic devices can be used to eradicate the plethora of numbers from action oriented descriptions. Functions or vgrbs can be tensed (e.g., past tense) to modify their meaning without duplicating the root function. The result is an English-like description to a control structure. Arguments or nouns can be modified in name, like the use of a GENSYM function in Lisp which generates a unique van-able name from a character string, and in number (e.g, singular vs. plural). The result is an English-like description of bound and quantified variables. The remaining quantitative description of action tasks can be relegated to a database whose management system is specialized for number management. The resulting language is a formal variant of a natural language with a Lisp-like syntax (i.e., lists with functions in the first position). The programs approach the readability of a natural language without the cost of ambiguity that is inherent in natural descriptions. Finally, the programs can be easily pretty printed in English so that they can be read by non-programmers. External link: Online copy (includes PDF)
  • Bourne, D. and P. Fussell, Designing Programming Languages for Manufacturing Cells, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-82-05, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, April, 1982. view details External link: Online copy (includes PDF) Abstract: A manufacturing cell is a complex collection of machines and electronics which must be intelligently superviscd. It should be flexible enough to readily adapt to different part styles and robust enough to operate without human assistance for reasonable periods of time. A programming language with a correct choice of language properties can make meeting these demands and others like them a manageable programming task.
    A rule based language in conjunction with a set of grammatical constraints supervises a cell which manufactures turbine blade pre-forms. The non-procedural nature of the language provides considerable
    flexibility in the operation of the cell. The rules are executed in no particular sequence, but rather as the cell is ready for them. Unfortunately, the non-procedural approach allows for unplanncd interactions between rules. Most of these interactions can be avoided by defining which rules can operate concurrently. The language is logically linked to the pre-form cell through a simple database management system. The database system maintains a model of the cell used by the language interpreter to decide which rules to execute. This database system also protects the cell programmer from the low level programming details (e.g., communication protocols).
  • Bourne, D. and D. Williams, Using the Feature Exchange Language in the Next Generation Controller, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-90-19, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, August, 1990. view details Abstract: The Air Force has two ongoing initiatives to aid the ailing U.S. Machine Tool Industry. The first is the Intelligent Machining Workstation (IMW), which has the goal of automatically producing one-off quality parts. The second is a Next Generation Controller (NGC) initiative, which has as its primary objective to design and specify an open architecture controller for machine tools.

    This report analyzes whether the integration language developed for the IMW is adequate to support the requirements of an integration language needed to build the NGC. The IMS's Feature Exchange Language (FEL) is a simple message oriented language designed to integrate diverse modules. The NBC has a specified need to design a Neutral Manufacturing Language, which can be readily used to integrate diverse third-party modules into a coherent controller. We show how with a few minor extensions FEL can be used to meet this need.
  • Bourne, D.; Baird, J.; P. Erion, and D. Williams, The Operational Feature Exchange Language, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-90-06, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, March, 1990. view details