Before we can start evolving new ‘brains’ for our robot, we need to translate our occam/Plumbing code into Java using JCSP. By using JCSP we are able to create a replica of our robot in the Simbad simulator. The first step we needed to take was to make an outline the occam-pi code to make translation easier.
I created this image using iMindMap. The map shows the channel and signal connections between the different processes. Our Java code will not be completely the same – our motor control will be different in the virtual world, for example.
So far, I have been able to translate the flame.detected, above and below threshold, and much of the brain components. Dr. Goadrich helped with this process by creating a version of the adc.get.reading process so that both the light sensors and range sensors can read from above and below threshold. Our robot now avoids walls (sort of) while looking for the candle in parallel. Now I need to translate the process which makes the robot follow the right wall.